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Conceptualising Service-Learning in Higher Education through the Human Development and Capability

Approach

University of the Free StateCentre for Research on Higher Education and Development

ISSL (28th-30th, 2015)

By

Ntimi Mtawa

Content

1. Purpose of the paper

2. Definitions of key concept

3. Contextualising service-learning (SL)

4. Institutional context

5. Methodology

6. Introducing the Human Development (HD) and Capability Approach (CA)

7. Operationalising HD and CA within SL

8. Conclusion

1. Purpose of the paper

• The paper aims to introduce the HD and CA in

conceptualising and thinking about SL practices

• It contributes to the search for an alternative and

expansive framework underpinning SL

• Drawing on the HD and CA, the paper conceptualises SL

within the human development. Thus, building on and

contributing to the broader debate on the role of HE to

human development

2. Definitions of key concepts

1. Service-learning

o Defined in many ways, commonly cited definition (Bringle and Hatcher,

2004)

• Working definition for this paper, SL is:

A pedagogical approach and a sub-set of the public mission of HEIs through which staff and students and external communities establish sustainable partnership and participate in activities that empower them, develop their capabilities and functionings and enhance their individual and collective well-being and agency as academics, students and community members. In this context, sustainability, participation, empowerment, capabilities, functionings, well-being and agency are seen as key components and outcomes of SL

Def. key concepts cont.

2. Human development

oRefers to an approach to development that creates an

enabling environments for people to enjoy long, healthy,

creative, meaningful and worthwhile lives (Ul Haq, 2003).

o Development should be focused on what people are

effectively able to do and be, that is on their capabilities

(Sen, 1999)

3. Contextualising SL

• USA

Developing civic responsibilities Building democratic society HEIs relevance to the local milieu

• UK Democratic citizenship Graduates’ moral and civic capacities Graduate attributes

• South America

Built around “solidarity”o Togethernesso Advancing common goodo Common concern

• Africa (Limited SL programmes at HEIs)

Education benefiting wider society through (public good?)

o Developing responsible individualso Developing abilities, awareness and

critical reflection

• South Africa Overarching strategy for HE

transformation agenda

o Students’ social responsibility and awareness

o HE contribution to social and economic development

4. Introducing the Human Development and Capability Approach

1. The HD

o Founded in 1990 by Mahbub ul Haq (Pakistani

Economist)

o Basic tenet: Development entails a process of enlarging

people’s opportunities (capabilities) to choose from and

the level of their achieved well-being.

o Core principles of HD: Include inter alia, participation,

empowerment, human diversity, sustainability, equity.

Introducing the HD and CA cont.

2. The CA

oEmerged in the 1980s through the works of economist Amartya Sen and later advanced by Martha Nussbaum, among others .

oThe core argument of CA: Expand people’s opportunities

and freedom(s) so that they can achieve and enjoy valuable

beings and doings.

oThe core concepts of CA: Consist of capabilities,

functionings, agency, well-being, conversion factors.

Capability Approach core concepts

i. Capabilities: Are opportunities or freedom(s) to achieve what an individual reflectively values pursuing in order to become who they want to be in their lives (Sen, 1987). E.g. good health, participation in political life, emotion, learning, social belonging, resiliency, patience, love, friendship, respect, awareness, narrative imagination, critical thinking, global citizens etc.

ii. Functionings: Defined as “beings and doings” of a person (Sen, 1999). Outcome-based capabilities, involve achievements people derive from being or doing what they value (Realised dimensions of well-being) E.g. being health and nourished, being safe, being educated, having good job, being able to visit love ones, being able to eat, being sheltered, taking part in the community endeavours etc.

iii. Agency: Is defines as the ability to act and bring about change (Sen,

1999). (It involves freedom to achieve or to pursue one’s life goals)

Capability approach core concepts

iv. Well-being: Is conceptualised by Sen (1999) as living a life one has reason to value. Well-being is regarded as an end result, which can be achieved or increased by expanding peoples’ real freedoms (capabilities) to flourish (Alkire, 2010). E.g. safe and secure meaningful livelihoods; caring and dignified relationships; protection against crime and violence; artistic, cultural and spiritual activities; being well nourished; participation in political and community activities; creativity, autonomy; self-respect; and emotional well-being.

v. Conversion factors: Refer to the factors that determine the relationship between a good or service and the achievement of certain beings and doings. (Convert opportunities into functionings)

E.g. Conversion factors may include inter alia, personal, social environmental.

Why the HD and CA in SL

1. SL encompasses dimensions that can potentially

advance human development, but not always

approached from such perspectives

2. The HD and CA provide important tools that can enable

to frame SL more holistically, particularly drawing

attention to the human development implications for

lecturers, students and community partners.

5. Institutional context (University of the Free State, UFS)

o Established in 1904

o UFS is historically white, but that is no longer the case

(more integrated and inclusive)

o Located in one of poorest province of the country

o Three campuses with 33096 total number of students

6. Methodology

o Document review: Exploring and understanding how the

language, concepts, and phrases used in SL texts relate

to the notion of human development

1. The university’s strategic plan (2012-2016)

2. SL policy 2006

3. SL annual reports across the university

4. SL module descriptions

5. Students’ SL reflective journals

7. Operationalising the HD and CA in SL

1. SL potentially advances participation and empowerment

o Enable students to participate in teaching and learning

processes, questioning pedagogical practices and

developing other attributes (valued beings and doings)

E.g. Student reflection: “Sometimes we are not aware of things taking place in community because the theory does not show us the reality and we think the media is also lying to us. But we witnessed ourselves and that helped us to better understand the situations and how far we can contribute to making lives of others better”.

“We now have clear understanding of social problems, responsibilities of educated people, learning about ourselves and perceptions we have about people living or coming from difficult backgrounds”.

Operationalising cont.

o In some cases SL can potentially lead to disempowerment and other forms of passive participation (E.g. looking at 2011,2012, 2013 and 2014 SL reports)

Definition of SL seems to focus mainly on students

Little is mentioned on how community members participated in deciding

on the focus and the goals of SL projects

Little is mentioned on the extent to which community members’ desires,

aspirations and things they value doing are or were considered before

and during the implementation of SL projects

Little is mentioned regarding the participation of community members in

monitoring and evaluating the impact of SL

Operationalising cont.

2. SL as an enabler of understanding human diversity

o Leads to developing students who are public good oriented as it enables them to be ethical and sensitive, enhancing their values, knowledge and skills to provide service and expand opportunities and achievements to the diverse public

E.g. Student reflection: “We learnt that as people, we have different needs, different thoughts and different priorities; this was evident to us when one [community] member could not see the assignment as a priority at all and decided not to come…so we learnt to accommodate different characters in life”.

Operationalising cont.

3. Capabilities enhancement as an outcome of SL

oSL provides valuable opportunities that people can choose in order to lead the kind of lives they want to lead, to do what they want to do, and be the person they want to be

Using tolerance as a capability:

“…the challenges of working with partners (fellow students) made us to be tolerant of views that may be different from our own”.

Operationalising cont.

o SL potentially advances Nussbaum’s three capabilities

• Narrative imagination: “Hearing their situation made us think how John (pseudonym) is going to be, when he is a grown man will he live in such circumstances or will it be better or even worse?”

• Critical examination: “We felt sad, frustrated and devastated seeing children in conditions that jeopardised their life. There were a lot of questions in our mind, like why the church does not register the crèche with the department of education…I think crèches that are not registered should be discontinued”.

• Global citizens: “This project exposed me to other people, now I have an understanding of other people and their different ways of living and doing things”.

Operationalisation cont.

4. Agency in and through SL

oSL potentially enhances staff and students’ ability to act

and bring about change in society

SL leads to staff and students’ being responsible for their own lives and those of others

SL increases collective efforts in the process of social transformation

E.g. SL module description: To this end, we will first identify the needs of the community together with them and then you will design and deliver interventions that aim to address these needs (This is a potential SL outcome aimed at advancing collective agency).

Operationalising cont.

E.g. Student reflection: “This project has helped me to be much more concerned about other peoples’ life. …I have learnt that whatever knowledge I have received, I must pass to others. I believe that education must contribute to improving human conditions and also engage citizens in association with one another”.

In some cases the language used by students suggest that SL may lead into constraining agency of community members. E.g. Words such as helping, serving, giving, assisting, feeling pity etc.

E.g. “They showed us how much they really need our help and we promised them that we are going to help them with anything we can help them with”.

8. Conclusion

o SL is a complex idea (definition and application varies

across time and space)

o Credit bearing activity/social values (philanthropic

services to communities)

o Conceptualisation and application tend not to capture

how SL can potentially promote human development

o Building on the values and principles of HD and CA, the paper has sought to show how conceptualisation of SL can be foregrounded within the human development perspective.

THANK YOU

ASANTE SANA

DANKIE

KEA LEBOHA