In the Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning-Kahne & Westheimer

• "By engaging in meaningful service--whether tutoring children for whom English is a second language, helping patients in a hospital, doing difficult chores for the elderly, or supervising younger children's recreational activities--students will have opportunities to experience what David Hornbeck, former Maryland state superintendent, referred to as "the joy of reaching out to others"."

This aspect of service learning encompasses the charity angle. Participants enjoy helping others and recognize that it not feels good to reach out, but it is beneficial to the recipients of their 'charity'. It does not however convey the reason behind their helping. The children see the effects of their efforts on the surface, but they may not really know why they are helping, or even why some people need their help so badly.

• "The experimental and interpersonal components of service learning activities can achieve the first crucial step toward diminishing the sense of "otherness" that often separates students--particularly privileged students--from those in need."

What may be an obvious outcome of a service learning project is the willingness of a student to reach out and help, strengthening their sense of altruism. But what may not be so obvious is that a service learning project can be one of the first steps of change, starting with recognizing the similarities of all human beings.

• They used a quote from Paul Hanna: "Time and energy given to such superficial betterment [Hanna gives as an example making Thanksgiving baskets for poor families] could much more efficiently be spent in getting at the basic inhibiting influences which perpetuate a scarcity economy in the midst of abundance."

Some people argue that service learning could be used much more effectively if it is done with the intent of making an overall impact in the grand scheme of things, instead of just making tiny, though not altogether insignificant, 'cosmetic' changes. Fixing something on the outside will make it appear better for a time. But if you don't get to the root of the problem, nothing really changes in the long run. We need to work on making permanent changes and coming up with methods of prevention, instead of a one-time assist that may camouflage the real underlying issue.