Call for Chapters: Cultural Dynamics and Tensions within Service-Learning

Title: Exploring Cultural Dynamics and Tensions within Service-Learning

Editors: Trae Stewart, Ph.D. (University of Central Florida) and Nicole Webster, Ph.D. (The Pennsylvania State University)

Interpersonal and group interactions inherently require negotiating between diverse cultural practices and ideologies. Although we navigate these differences with relative ease everyday, some instances result in more palpable cultural conflict which can create a barrier to the achievement of goals. Service-learning is no exception.

The literature on the impact of service-learning on participants' acceptance of diversity and development of open-mindedness reports mixed outcomes. Some scholars have found that a primary benefit from service-learning is the opportunity to work with and learn about people whose lives and identities are different from our own. In contrast, an equal number of scholars warn against the dangers of service-learning in reifying stereotypes and conflicts.

This interdisciplinary text will address diversity and cultural conflict in the practice of service-learning within K-12 and higher education. With this in mind, we aim to support a polyvocal approach to defining cultural conflict and discovering effective strategies for marshaling service-learning productively in courses and programs. Written to be accessible and useful to service-learning researchers and practitioners, the text will serve as a resource for all who are engaged in educating students to become active, culturally affirming, and critical participants in democratic societies.

We solicit submissions from a range of genres, including theoretical/conceptual pieces, position papers, case studies, and other traditional academic essays. Manuscripts that address the topic of cultural tensions in service-learning and that simultaneously focus on one or more of the following areas are most welcomed:

• theoretical, philosophical, historical, or methodological approaches to/reviews of culture and service-learning


• cultural impacts, assumptions, tensions, and/or conflicts related to the practice of service-learning (conscious or unconscious)


• pieces that include the following cultural variables - ability, religion, SES, gender, physical appearance, nationality, sexual orientation/identity, ethnicity, linguistic heritage, and health status


• the interplay of cultures in international or domestic service-learning programs


• psychosocial dynamics and outcomes connected to engagement in service-learning

Submission Procedure:
Interested authors should email a 250 word abstract of their proposed chapter to nsw10@psu.edu by March 1, 2009. Invited authors will need to submit completed chapters of 5,000-7000 words (20-25 pages, including references, tables, and images) by August 15, 2009. We welcome questions about specific article ideas.

Inquiries and submissions should be forwarded electronically to:
Nicole Webster, nsw10@psu.edu