Participation in a community service programme has a positive effect on high school volunteers' empathy.
Date
2008-06-09T05:35:53Z
Authors
Barclay, Heather
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
ABSTRACT
There is a growing body of research that demonstrates the relationship between identity
development, the development of citizenship, and the pedagogy of service learning (Eyler &
Giles, 1999; Jones & Hill, 2001, 2003; Rhoad, 1997; Youniss &Yates, 1997). While a review of
the effects of community service on elementary and high school participants in the USA provide
some indication that participating in service-learning programmes is beneficial to young people,
Alt & Medrich (1994) state that there is still relatively little clear, systematic evidence
demonstrating the connection between community service and particular affective and
educational objectives.
It is of concern in the light of the Further Education and Training (FET) Life Orientation (LO)
Curriculum’s call for citizenship education (Department of Education, 2003), that no research on
‘community service’ work done by high school learners in South Africa can be located. The
studies that link a service- learning or community work pedagogy to the development of
empathy have primarily been conducted with college students (Burnett, Hamel, & Long, (2004);
Giles, & Eyler, (1993); Jones & Hill (2003); Pratt, (2001); Rhoad, (1997)). Although there is
some research with adolescents (Hamilton & Fenzel, (1988); Leming, (2001); Middleton, & Kelly
(1996); Yates. & Youniss, (1996), it has primarily focused on social and identity development in
community service settings and not specifically on empathy.
However Hatcher’s (1994) research with adolescents and college students provides indications
that empathy is developmental and can be elicited by environmental intervention and that some
aspects of empathy can be taught to adolescents if a developmental shift is caught.
Key words: empathy, service learning, community work, identity, citizenship
Description
Keywords
Empathy, Service learning, Community work, Identity, Citizenship