(Half Course)
(Classes II and I)
What is service and what role should it play in our lives in the U.S. and as citizens of an interconnected world? What role have individuals devoted to social justice and political action played in U.S. history? What kinds of leadership are needed in Boston and nationally to create a more just and sustainable society? This course will explore the role of service as it has been defined and lived by individuals from a variety of cultural, political and religious backgrounds. An integral component to this exploration will be students’ first-hand experiences of service through weekly commitments to local sites; some homework time will be allocated for the hands-on work and reflection about the experience, the impact it is having on one’s life, and how that ties into assigned readings. We will seek to better understand current social issues related to students’ service work, such as poverty, homelessness, elder care, educational inequity, healthcare, environment and immigration. Class readings include contemporary authors and news sources, as well as historical documents. Course work includes journal writing, short papers and an action project related to a topic of personal interest.
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