Psychology 498 (Fall 2007)

Section 01, TR 12:30-1:45

Special Topics: The Psychology of Community Service

Professor: Jim Conway

Office: Marcus White Hall, Room 215

Hours: Monday 9:00-10:00, Tuesday 11:00-12:00 & 3:50-4:50, Wednesday 9:00-10:00, Thursday 11:00-12:00; and by appointment

Phone: 860-832-3107

E-mail: conwayj@ccsu.edu

Home page: http://www.psychology.ccsu.edu/conway

Required Readings:

Listed at the end of the syllabus, available through CentralPipeline (or WWW) and the CCSU library reserve room.

Required Service: 15 hours of work at an approved community agency

Required Journal: Either a loose-leaf binder or folder

Course Objectives

Community involvement is an almost universally recognized virtue (e.g., by the U.S. federal government, religious faiths, etc.). It is also reflected in the CCSU mission statement which says “We prepare students to be thoughtful, responsible and successful citizens,” and “The public service expected of all members of our community benefits our society—local and global—and builds our sense of citizenship.” Community involvement is also an important part of the mission statements of the School of Arts & Sciences and the Department of Psychology.

The overall objective of the course is to understand community service from two integrated perspectives: psychological theory and research, and active participation in service. Specific objectives include (a) understanding psychological factors involved in providing service to our communities, (b) appreciating how the field of psychology can contribute to effective community service, (c) understanding one’s relationship to the community and to recipients of service, and (d) developing an orientation toward providing service and working to improve our communities. The course material consists of a set of readings from the psychological and service learning literatures, a significant community service experience (at least 15 hours over the semester), and in-class discussions of your service experiences, integrated with readings.

Format

This is a “service learning” course which will involve learning through two integrated experiences: a classroom experience and a community service experience. This will not be a largely lecture-based course. The classroom experience will involve some lecturing, but will also involve discussion, exercises, occasional use of the “jigsaw classroom” technique, etc. All classroom experiences will be relevant to community service experiences and we will frequently bring our community experiences into the classroom.

Readings

There is no required textbook for this course but there is a list of required readings, available through CentralPipeline/Vista and/or the World Wide Web; readings are also available in hardcopy in the Burritt Library’s reserve room. The readings are a mix of psychological and non-psychological literature. There are journal articles, book chapters, newspaper pieces, and more. A number of the readings are short while others are long. Some are very recent while others are “classics.” My intention is to provide a mix of sources that stimulates your thinking from a variety of perspectives, but that also helps you understand the psychologist’s approach to community service.

Course Requirements

Course requirements include (a) satisfactory completion of the community service requirement; (b) a journal of your experiences (including writing on assigned topics); (c) a class presentation; (d) class participation; (e) midterm and final exams, and (f) a final paper on your service experience.

Community Service Requirement (100 points)

The community service requirement includes two components.

a. Work with a community agency (80 points). You will work at least 15 hours over the semester with an approved community agency. The work will ideally be in an area of your interest (e.g., childcare at the YMCA; working with disabled adults). I will help you find a placement, or you can arrange one on your own – but if you arrange it yourself you cannot begin your service until I approve the placement after speaking with your supervisor. Please speak to me if you plan to make your own arrangements. The service must be spread over a significant time period; about half your hours must be done before mid-semester and about half must be done after mid-semester.

b. A class project (20 points). We will spend some class time (and possibly some out-of-class time) during the semester working on a service project as a class. The class will decide on the type of project; e.g., fundraiser, clean-up, etc. You are expected to participate fully in this project.

Journal (100 points)

You will keep a journal of your service experiences during the semester. The journal will include reactions to assigned reading as well as other weekly entries. In evaluating each entry I will be looking for you to:

1. think critically about your service experience;

2. make linkages between your service experience and class readings; and

3. write a well organized, grammatically correct response.

Class Presentation/Discussion (50 points)

You will give a 15 minute presentation/discussion of your service experience. The presentation should involve a description of your service, your observations about the impact of your service and your agency on the community, and some initial ideas about how psychology can be applied in your service setting (these ideas will be fleshed out in your final paper). You can also reflect on things you have learned and on your plans for future service. In your presentation/discussion you should:

1. present/discuss for the full 15 minutes;

2. communicate clearly to give the class a clear picture of your service experience;

3. discuss things about your experience you find interesting, surprising, difficult, enjoyable, or thought-provoking; and

4. tie in concepts discussed in class.

Class Participation (50 points)

You are expected to attend class, participate in discussions, and ask questions of other students regarding their service experience presentations. Regular attendance is necessary but not sufficient for a good participation grade. Full credit for participation requires:

1. participation in nearly every class meeting; and

2. constructive, relevant comments, questions, and observations.

Midterm and Final Exams (50 points each)

You will have take-home exams at mid-semester and at the end of the semester. Exams will test your understanding of class material and ask you to relate class material to your service experience. More information on the content of the exams will be provided later. Dates will be:

Midterm Exam: Tuesday, Oct. 30

Final Exam: Thursday, Dec. 20, 11:00 a.m.

Final Paper (100 points)

Your 10-15 page (double-spaced) paper will describe your service setting and experience, integrate your experience with literature from throughout the course, discuss how (if at all) the experience has affected you, and how psychology can contribute to providing better service in your setting.

To discuss psychology’s contribution you must search for (using PsycINFO) and cite at least two journal articles. E.g., these articles could deal with providing high-quality childcare or effective services to disabled adults. I will provide you with a separate hand-out on the paper project detailing the requirements.

Computing Grades

Your final grade will be based on the percentage of points you have out of a possible 500.

Grade Range Points

‘A’ range (90-100%): 450-500

‘B’ range (80-89%): 400-449

‘C’ range (70-79%): 350-399

‘D’ range (60-69%): 300-349

‘F’ range (below 60%): less than 300

Semester Schedule

Week of:

I. What is Community Service, and What is Psychology’s Role? (Weeks 1-2)

Sept. 4/6 Introduction to course and service learning

What is Community Service

Reading Assignment:

Moely and Miron (2005)

Sept. 11/13 Community service and Psychology

Begin class service project

Activities: Learning contracts

Choose service site

Self-assessment

Begin planning class project

Reading Assignment:

Miller (1969)

II. Why People Provide Community Service (Weeks 3-4)

Sept. 18/20 Motivations for providing community service

Activities: Self-assessment (continued)

** Begin community service **

Reading Assignment:

Clary et al. (1998), pp 1517-1519

Penner (2002), pp. 450-454

Grube and Piliavan (2000), pp. 1108-1110

Sept. 25/27 Motivations for providing community service (continued)

Ethical decision making in service settings

Activities: Ethical decision making exercise

Discuss term papers, begin reviewing literature

Initial discussion of service experiences

III. The Experience of Service (Weeks 5-10)

Oct. 2/4 Service learning/Experiential learning

Reading Assignment:

Coles (1993), pp. 40-48; 145-173

Bringle and Hatcher (1999)

Oct. 9/11 Stereotypes of service recipients

Reading Assignment:

Galinsky and Moskowitz (2000)

Activities: 1 Class Spent on Meetings (Tues. Oct. 9)

Oct. 16/18 Stereotypes of service recipients (Continued)

Activities: 1 Class Spent on Meetings (Tues. Oct. 16)

Oct. 22/24 Beneficiary’s perspective: Reactions to receiving help

Individual and the Community (Is Individualism a Good Thing?)

Reading Assignment:

Coles (1993), pp. xi – xxviii

Fisher and Nadler (1976)

Activities: Review for mid-term exam

Oct. 30/Nov. 1 Midterm Exam (Oct. 30)

Individual and the Community (Is Individualism a Good Thing?)

Reading Assignment (all short):

de Toqueville (1863)

Neusner (1988)

Putnam (2000)

Activities: Discuss service experiences

Sample presentation by Conway

Nov. 6/8 ** Student Presentations/Discussions **

IV. Outcomes I: Effects of Service on Communities (Weeks 11-13)

Nov. 13/15 Effects on communities

** Student Presentations/Discussions (continued) **

Nov. 20 Effects on communities (Continued)

Reading Assignment:

Mosle (2000)

Snyder, Omoto, and Lindsay (2004) pp. 446-449; 454-459; 462-464

Draft papers due (optional)

V. Outcomes II: Benefits (and Costs) of Service to Those Who Provide It (Weeks 13-15)

Nov. 27/29 Effects on communities (wrap-up)

Benefits/costs to service providers

Reading Assignment:

Cloud (1997)

Stukas, Snyder, & Clary (1999)

Snyder et al. (2004), pp. 459-462

Dec. 4/6 Benefits/costs to service providers (Continued)

Should community service be mandatory?

Dec. 11/13 Benefits/costs (continued)

Review/Wrap up - How do we define community service and psychology’s role?

Activities: Self re-assessment

Review for Final Exam

** Turn in papers **

Dec. 20, 11:00 a.m.: Final Exam

Reading Sources

Bringle, R. G., & Hatcher, J. A. (1999). Reflection in service learning: Making meaning of experience. Educational Horizons, 77(4), 179-185.

Clary, E. G., Snyder, M., Ridge, R. D., Copeland, J., Stukas, A. A., Haugen, J., & Miene, P. (1998). Understanding and assessing the motivations of volunteers: A functional approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1516-1530. [pp. 1517-1519]

Cloud, J. (1997). Involuntary volunteers. Time, 150(23).

Coles, R. (1993). The call of service: A witness to idealism. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

de Tocqueville, A. (1863). Of individualism in democratic countries. In Democracy in America, Vol. II. Available at http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/ch2_02.htm.

Fisher, J. D., & Nadler, A. (1976). Effect of donor resources on recipient self-esteem and self-help. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 12, 139-150.

Galinsky, A. D., & Moskowitz, G. B. (2000). Perspective-taking: Decreasing stereotype expression, stereotype accessibility, and in-group favoritism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(4), 708-724.

Grube, J. A., & Piliavin, J. A. (2002). Role identity, organizational experiences, and volunteer performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26(9), 1108-1119. [pp. 1108-1110]

Miller, G. A. (1969). Psychology as a means of promoting human welfare. American Psychologist, 24(12), 1063-1075.

Moely, B. E., & Miron, D. (2005). College students’ preferred approaches to community service: Charity and social change paradigms. In S. Root, J. Callahan, & S. H. Billig (eds.), Improving service learning: Research on models to enhance impacts. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

Mosle, S. (2000). The vanity of volunteerism. New York Times Magazine. Retrieved August 14, 2006, from http://www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000702mag-volunteer.html.

Neusner, J. (1988). Righteousness, not charity: Judaism’s view of philanthropy. Liberal Education, 74(4), 16-18.

Penner, L. A. (2002). Dispositional and organizational influences on sustained volunteerism: An interactionist perspective. Journal of Social Issues, 58(3), 447-467. [pp. 450-454]

Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling alone: Living alone and liking it. Presentation to the Commonwealth Club of California.

Snyder, M., Omoto, A. M., & Lindsay, J. J. (2004). Sacrificing time and effort for the good of others: The benefits and costs of volunteerism. In A. G. Miller (ed.), The social psychology of good and evil (pp. 444-468). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Stukas, A. A., Snyder, M., & Clary, E. G. (1999). The effects of “mandatory volunteerism” on intentions to volunteer. Psychological Science, 10(1), 59-64.