Similar Thoughts

Sean Grant

March 15, 2014

Blog 6 (Kahne& Westheimer)

What are your thoughts?

                For the piece “In Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning” by Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer, I am trying to approach it with Extended Comments in mind.  So after reading the piece, I then started reading a few blog posts regarding the article.  When I came by Jamie’s her pictures she put in her blog caught my eye and actually gave me a little laugh.  The first picture with the brain saying         “DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK” goes along with all the previous posts about how it’s not always right to go with how you feel and what you think is correct, you have to approach it with multiple view points and aspects.  Her second picture she put about stereotyping really made a lot of sense.  The ones with the students holding signs, a lady with glasses and her sign says “I can actually see you” and the other with what appears to be someone who is Mexican and his sign reads “I will not cut your grass.”  It just goes to show you that no matter what, whether you are perfect or not, someone somewhere will find something about you to point out or assume because of the color of your skin, your clothes, actions etc.

                But like Jamie quoted “the experiential and interpersonal components of service learning activities can achieve the first crucial step toward diminishing the sense of “Otherness.”  I could really connect to this because in my service learning I am in an environment I would never be in if I had the choice, not because the school specifically, but because of how unfamiliar I am with providence and different races and cultures.  But also like Jamie said people fear what they don’t know, and it is not until you experience it for yourself that you can have a true personal representation of the people and area.