Relating to the poor:Relating to the poor: A Case Study in using Service-A Case Study in using Service-

Learning to teach undergraduate Learning to teach undergraduate development economicsdevelopment economics

October 18, 2003October 18, 2003Wilmington, NC Wilmington, NC

James F. CaseyJames F. CaseyWashington and Lee UniversityWashington and Lee University

Lexington, VALexington, VAcaseyj@wlu.educaseyj@wlu.edu

““think like economists”think like economists”

• Heckman or Darity?, Mankiw or Sen?Heckman or Darity?, Mankiw or Sen?

• McGoldrick or Schuhmann???McGoldrick or Schuhmann???

• Soft Hearts & Hard HeadsSoft Hearts & Hard Heads

• Critical & CaringCritical & Caring

• The notion of a “Caring Economist”The notion of a “Caring Economist”

Econ 280: Development Econ 280: Development EconomicsEconomics

• Introduction to the study of Introduction to the study of Development Economics. Development Economics.

1.1. overview of Development overview of Development

2.2. theories of growth and development. theories of growth and development.

3.3. factors of production: physical, human and factors of production: physical, human and natural capital. natural capital.

4.4. "global issues." "global issues."

The Service Learning The Service Learning ComponentComponent

• What is service learning?What is service learning?

• Why use it?Why use it?

• Why I use it.Why I use it.

• How I use itHow I use it..

What is service learning?What is service learning?

• Service-Learning is a method of experiential Service-Learning is a method of experiential learning that links the classroom with the local learning that links the classroom with the local community. It requires students to spend time, community. It requires students to spend time, outside of class, volunteering and to relate this outside of class, volunteering and to relate this volunteer experience to the educational theories volunteer experience to the educational theories they learn in the classroom.they learn in the classroom.

• Service-learning suggests an active approach to Service-learning suggests an active approach to learning economics or perhaps an active learning economics or perhaps an active approach to learning to “think like an economist.” approach to learning to “think like an economist.”

Why Use it?Why Use it?

• Service connected to specific courses can Service connected to specific courses can enhance the learning of the course enhance the learning of the course content content (Markus, Howard and King 1993).(Markus, Howard and King 1993).

• Service-Learning has impacts on students' Service-Learning has impacts on students' personal, social and cognitive outcomes personal, social and cognitive outcomes (Giles and Eyler 1994).(Giles and Eyler 1994).

• Participation in a service-learning program Participation in a service-learning program can improve the interaction between can improve the interaction between faculty members and students. faculty members and students.

Why I use itWhy I use it

• expose students to povertyexpose students to poverty

• alleviate common misperceptions alleviate common misperceptions

• invest in someone else's human invest in someone else's human capital and, of course, their own capital and, of course, their own

• careful caring economists careful caring economists

How I use itHow I use it

• each student must meet with the each student must meet with the Community Service Coordinator, and the Community Service Coordinator, and the Service Learning Coordinator, during the Service Learning Coordinator, during the first week of the term first week of the term

• volunteer 10 hours volunteer 10 hours

• journal journal

• 3-4 page paper linking the experience to a 3-4 page paper linking the experience to a particular theory of development from particular theory of development from class class

Results to dateResults to date

• students in Economics 280 have served students in Economics 280 have served 660 hours (10 hours X 66 students) of 660 hours (10 hours X 66 students) of which I have documented 370 hours in which I have documented 370 hours in the Rockbridge area the Rockbridge area

1.1. Exposure / empathy quotesExposure / empathy quotes

2.2. Links to class quotesLinks to class quotes

3.3. Other quotesOther quotes

Exposure / empathy quotesExposure / empathy quotes

• ““This made me question my assumption that This made me question my assumption that parents with low incomes neglect their kids.”parents with low incomes neglect their kids.”

• ““Poor people probably have more in Poor people probably have more in common with everyone else than they do common with everyone else than they do differences.”differences.”

• ““I feel I have more compassion for the I feel I have more compassion for the poor in this country because I can relate to poor in this country because I can relate to them on a human level. Its not so abstract them on a human level. Its not so abstract for me now.”for me now.”

Links to class quotesLinks to class quotes

• ““For the record, this element of the course was For the record, this element of the course was very helpful in applying the classroom knowledge. very helpful in applying the classroom knowledge. I got to see your Harlem example and Sen’s I got to see your Harlem example and Sen’s viewpoints applied to real world situations with viewpoints applied to real world situations with real kids that were begging for me to hug them real kids that were begging for me to hug them and put them on my shoulders. It is all so and put them on my shoulders. It is all so humbling.”humbling.”

• ““The experience enabled me to see, first hand, The experience enabled me to see, first hand, the benefits of investing in the human capital of a the benefits of investing in the human capital of a nation’s youth.”nation’s youth.”

Other quotesOther quotes

• ““This has been a good experience for me, and This has been a good experience for me, and one that I plan to continue for the rest of the one that I plan to continue for the rest of the year.”year.”

• Thank you for the inspiration of this service Thank you for the inspiration of this service learning component.” learning component.”

ConclusionConclusion

• ““Can an economist be both critical Can an economist be both critical and caring?” and caring?” (Rebecca Blank, Jan. 2003)(Rebecca Blank, Jan. 2003)

• YES YES

• and service learning can helpand service learning can help