1
Two models of social organization and service delivery are competing with civil society in contemporary
America. The first model—pushed to an extreme—proposes a corporatist “branded” world, where one can
live in a “Coca-cola city,” a “Celebration” village, or close to the “Mall of America,” and where research
and social-services are efficiently delivered by private corporate service-delivery systems. The second
model—also pushed to the extreme—promotes a society where a “thousand points of lights” across the
homeland deliver “faith-based” programs with “morally-sound” service delivery based on dogmatic
principles, not science. Somewhere in between these two extreme private models, in American civil
society, there are rational, scientifically conceived strategies to deliver services without dehumanizing or
proselytizing. Educational institutions and service learning programs are key to prevent individuals and
collectives from being captured by private interests. There is an alternative way of providing services to
diverse communities, while inspiring and empowering individuals to serve others than self.
Introduction
The increase in emphasis and popularity of service learning programs in higher
education has been well documented; however, debates continue over the importance and
pedagogical value of service learning as a required component of academic curriculum.
1
One of the more interesting topics of debates revolves around whether or not service
learning enhances civic engagement or what Robert Putnam terms “social capital.”
2
In
the course of this paper I 1) discuss Putnam’s concept of social capital and its critiques;
2) demonstrate how universities can serve as facilitators of social capital production and
redistribution through community-based service learning programs and; 3) provide a
basic pedagogical model that helps remedy some of the problems often cited with service
learning courses taught in political science departments. I reflect on classroom
observations, use participant survey data from courses in community-based service
learning, map connections that exist between social capital, service learning, and political
engagement, compare the “pay-off” and higher social yield of promoting engagement
through education (scientific) experiences than through the two competing models of
1
Richard Battistoni and William Hudson, eds. 1997. Experiencing Citizenship: Concepts and Models for
Service-learning in Political Science. Washington, DC: AAHE series.
2
Sections of this paper build on previous work with Catherine May that was presented at the International
Conference on Civic Education Research, New Orleans 2003.
Convention