ERIC EJ888074: Good Intentions Pave the Way to Hierarchy: A Retrospective Autoethnographic Approach

2009·0.12 MB·English

by  ERIC

MichiganJournalofCommunityServiceLearning Fall2009,pp.59-68
Good Intentions Pave the Way to Hierarchy:
A Retrospective Autoethnographic Approach
GresildaA.Tilley-Lubbs
VirginiaPolytechnicInstituteandStateUniversity
I explore certain complexities of partnering university students with members of the Mexican and
Honduranimmigrantcommunity1throughservice-learning.Irevealhowmy“goodintentions”inadver-
tentlycreatedsocialhierarchyanddeficitnotionsofthecommunity,establishingthestudentsas“haves”
and community members as “have-nots.” Critically examining my practices, I reflect on the service-
learning instructor’s role in fostering reciprocal relationships based on non-hierarchical constructs
whenbringingseeminglydisparategroupstogetherinservice-learningpartnerships.
Inthebodyofliteraturethatsituatesservice-learn- gainedinsider-outsiderstatusintheimmigrantcom-
ing within social justice or critical pedagogy, munity by collaborating and serving in various
researchers and practitioners have written about the capacities for more than 30 years, always secure in
roleservice-learningplaysinstudents’journeysfrom the assumption I had “figured out” my role in the
privileged, dominant culture backgrounds to an Spanish-speaking community, with the accompany-
understandingofthelivespeopleleadinnon-domi- ing supposition that my actions were good for all
nant communities (Arries, 1999; Camacho, 2004; concerned,studentsandfamiliesalike.
Dunlap,Scroggin,Green,&Davi,2007;Kiely,2004,
Background
2005; Mitchell, 2008; Pompa, 2002; Rockquemore
&Schaffer,2000).Researchershavealsotackledthe
IinitiallydesignedCTBtopartneruniversitystu-
thornytopicofservice-learning’sroleinreinforcing
dents with immigrant women for whom I had been
students’ hierarchical perceptions and attitudes
servingasinterpreteratprenatalandfamilyplanning
toward non-dominant partner communities (Boyle-
clinics at the Health Department for two and a half
Baise & Kilbane, 2000; Eby, 1998; Morton, 1995;
years. I often spent hours with the women in clinic
Pompa). Furthermore, with critical service-learning
waiting rooms, and we had become friends.
students examine social constructs that create
Consequently,theybegantorequestmyaidasacul-
inequalities while encouraging them to accept
turalmediatorandinterpreterinothervenues,often
responsibilityforimplementingsocialjustice-orient-
asking if I knew where they could obtain clothing
edchange(Mitchell,2008).However,Isuggestthat
and furniture for themselves and for other family
similar critical examination of faculty’s own prac-
members immigrating to join them. I continually
tices as service-learning practitioners is equally
solicited items from my university colleagues,
important,soastoconstantlymonitorourownatti-
church members, and various friends and acquain-
tudesandbehaviors,whichstudentsandcommunity
tancestohonortheirrequestsforassistance.
participants may regard as models for their own
Because time did not permit me to keep up with
interactions.
Therefore,inthispaperIdocumentmyowntrans- theirrequestsforassistance,Idecidedtoinvolvemy
formativejourney,exploringmyroleastheinstructor Spanishstudentsintheendeavor,respondingtotheir
ofanacademiccourseforSpanishandeducationstu- interestinmeetingandinteractingwiththefamilies
dents,CrossingtheBorderthroughService-Learning aboutwhomIspokeinclass.CTBresulted,offering
(CTB).Asthepersonwhodesignedandimplement- asettingforreciprocalopportunitiesforthewomen
edthecoursethatbroughtstudentsincontactwitha tolearntospeakEnglishandnavigateinanewcul-
hitherto unfamiliar population, I realized I was ture,andforstudentstopracticespokenSpanishand
unconsciously creating social hierarchy and patron- experienceMexicanandHondurancultures.
izationthroughaworkdayeachsemesterwhenuni- In addition to their academic readings, class dis-
versity students delivered material goods to partner cussions, and journaling about Spanish-speaking
familieswhilemeetingeachotherforthefirsttime. immigrants in the United States, the students spent
My situation was particularly perilous since I had 50 hours per semester in the home of partner fami-
59
Tilley-Lubbs
lies.Duringtheirtimewiththefamilies,thestudents Moll, Tenery, Rivera, Rendon, González et al.,
concentratedonhelpingthewomendeveloptheabil- 1995; Greenberg & Moll, 1990) also informed the
ity to navigate in a new culture. They practiced studentssoastochallengedeficitnotionsregarding
Englishwiththefamily,tutoredschool-agechildren, non-dominantgroups.
made phone calls to obtain information or appoint- Noddings’ (1999) work on caring and compe-
ments,providedtransportation,interpretedwhensuf- tenceunderlinedaclassdiscussiononthevirtuesof
ficiently proficient, and generally responded to caring.Eby’s(1998)andMorton’s(1999)cautions
requests made by families. In turn, the families about service-learning and Nava’s (1998) heartfelt
enjoyedhelpingstudentspracticeSpanishandlearn portrayal of the pain of receiving charity also con-
their customs, often over a meal or while watching tributed to the foundational understanding of ser-
television.Thissimplisticviewofreciprocityinitial- vice-learning as opposed to volunteerism or com-
lyguidedthecourseasIfollowedapathinspiredby munity service. In all, I mindfully chose readings
my own belief in the values of community service fortheearlyweekstofacilitateanunderstandingof
and cross-cultural relationships (Tilley-Lubbs, service-learninginthecommunity.
2003a,2007).
Early in the morning on the second Saturday of Guiding Perspectives
each semester, the students arrived at my garage to
Feministpoststructuralismrefersto"renewedinter-
sort mounds of donated clothing and furniture to
est in writing a critical history that emphasizes
deliver to their partner families. Each student
diacronic(changingovertime)analyses;onmutation,
receivedthenames,ages,andsizesofpartnerfamily
transformation,anddiscontinuityofstructures"(Peters
members so they could choose items they deemed
& Burbules, 2004, p. 24), providing "critiques and
appropriate and suitable. Once everything was
methods for examining the functions and effects of
bagged and ready to go, we loaded cars, vans, and
any structure or grid of regularity that we put into
trucksforourcross-citytrektothefamilies’homes.
place"(St.Pierre&Pillow,2000,p.6).Implicitinany
Becauseallthereadingsandclassdiscussionsupto
structure are power issues that reach “into the very
thispointfocusedonsocialjusticeissuesinservice-
grainofindividuals,touchestheirbodies,andinserts
learning, I felt the students were well prepared for
itselfintotheiractionsandattitudes,theirdiscourses,
thisexperience.
learning processes and everyday lives" (Foucault,
However, regardless of the thoroughness of the
1980, p. 39). To reflect on these power issues, I use
foundationalreadingsandmypreparationofthestu-
self-reflexivity, basing my authority on my own
dents,Otheringstillseemedtooccurasaresultofthe
engagementwiththeclassandthecommunity,aview
workday(Fine,1998).Infall2002,thesemesterthat
consistentwithLather's(1991)situatingofselfas"a
serves as the context for this paper, in the class fol-
first-world woman—white, middle-class, North
lowing the workday, student criticism raised ques-
American,heterosexual—myself-describedposition-
tions regarding the appropriateness of “cramming a
bunch of university students” into people’s private ality"(p.xix).Nonetheless,Irealizethatmyposition
spaces.Fromthenon,mygrowinguneaseaboutthe of power and privilege in society by no means pro-
eventcausedmetocriticallyexaminetheworkdayin vides answers (Kirsch, 1999) in regard to working
termsofthesocialhierarchyIsuspectedIwasunin- with families from traditionally non-dominant com-
tentionallycreating. munities,particularlyasIweavethefamiliesintopart-
nershipswithuniversitystudents.
Literature Informing the Course Criticaltheoryalsoprovidesalensforexamining
the asymmetrical power structures inherent in any
In CTB, service-learning defines a method/
programinvolvinguniversitystudentsinanon-dom-
pedagogy that joins three concepts: community
inant community (Camacho, 2004; Darder, 1991).
action and academic knowledge, with deep reflec-
From the perspective of critical theory, critical con-
tionontheintersectionofthetwo(Eyler,Giles,&
sciousness frames my examination of practice
Schmeide,1996).Inplanningthecourse,Dewey’s
(Freire, 1970). Furthermore, critical pedagogy
work(1929/1997)echoedmybeliefinexperiential
informedtheclassthatprovidedthecontextforthis
learning as an integral component of education.
autoethnography,recognizingtheimportanceof"the
Similarly,Freire’s(1970)conceptofemancipatory
social,cultural,andpoliticalinshapinghumaniden-
education resonated with my desire to co-create
tity"(Kincheloe,2005,p.6).
educational opportunities with/for Mexican and
Hondurancommunitywomenwhilefacilitatingan
Analytical Process
understanding of the power of praxis for students.
Exploring funds of knowledge residing in the IteachataLandGrantResearchIUniversity,and
homes of Spanish-speaking families (González, although the students I teach represent a variety of
60
GoodIntentionsPavetheWaytoHierarchy
socioeconomic backgrounds, their university atten- ty.
dance usually reflects a more privileged economic Similarly, autoethnography presents “research,
situation than most partner families enjoy since the writing,story,andmethodthatconnecttheautobio-
latters’socioeconomicsituationsmakethemeligible graphical and personal to the cultural, social, and
for public prenatal and family planning healthcare. political” (Ellis, 2004, xix). I examine my perspec-
From the outset I sought to establish a space where tives on working in non-dominant populations
two seemingly disparate groups of people could throughthelensoftheworldthatshapedme,butat
relate to each other through their shared humanity, the same time, I present a meta-ethnography that
rather than simply as representatives of different revisits my original critical analysis of practice
socioeconomic, ethnic, educational, or linguistic (Tilley-Lubbs,2003b),allowingmetoaltertheframe
backgrounds. I acknowledge the perils involved in in which I wrote the original story, ask questions I
sucha“colorblind”approach,butatthetimeitmade didn’t ask then, consider others’ responses to the
sensetome,andmyinitialqualitativeresearchpro- originalstory,andincludevignettesofrelatedexpe-
vided evidence that students and families do come riencesthathappenedsinceIwrotethestoryandnow
togetheranddeveloprelationshipsofvaryingdepths affectthewayIlookbackatthestory(Ellis,2009,p.
thatcross,oratleaststraddle,thesebarriers(Tilley- 13).Ifirstaddressedtheissueoftheworkdayinmy
Lubbs,2003a,2003b,2007). dissertation(Tilley-Lubbs,2003b),butinthispaperI
Nonetheless, the initial data analysis suggested a reconsidertheeventsixyearslater,viewingtheexpe-
needforre-examiningthepracticesoftheworkday.I rience through the lens of my current perspectives
reread student journals, and I reanalyzed countless aboutpowerandprivilege.
hours of informal time spent in the company of the
EarlyTimes
students and families as recorded in my field notes.
Actualwordsarequotedfromthejournalsoftwostu-
dentswhoquestionedtheworkdayandfrommyper- Wheretopark?AsIfollowedmyhusbandwho
sonal journals2 regarding the workday and student was maneuvering the Ryder moving van, I
reactionstotheevent.Thatsemesterconscientização clutchedthesteeringwheelandhopedforthe
best.All the cars following behind cautiously
[conscientization] (Freire, 1970) began, causing me
edged their way past the numerous cars and
toquestionmyestablishedpractice.
trucksintheparkinglot.Thereweresome20
The self-reflexivity that guided this paper allows
ofus,somanyofthestudentshadtoparkout
meto“beknownandseenbyothers,...toopenup
in the street. It was a warm September
thepossibilityoflearningmoreabout[my]topic,and
Saturdayafternoon,sotherewerepeopleout-
[myself],andingreaterdepth”(Etherington,2004,p. sidemillingaround,creatingavibrantatmos-
25). Through self-reflexivity, I can reflect on and phere.Wefinallymanagedtoparkandgetout
becomemorefullyconsciousofmyown“ideology, ofallthevehiclestomakeourwaytothefam-
culture,andpolitics,”goingbeyondself-awarenessto ilieswehadcometovisitfortheworkday.
createa“dynamicprocessofinteractionwithinand WhenwearrivedatIsabel’s3wehadtowait
between…[myself]…andthedatathatinformdeci- outsidewhileshefinishednegotiatingwiththe
vendor parked outside her apartment. He had
sions, actions and interpretations,” addressing “ethi-
backed his truck up to the sidewalk, and the
cal issues and power relations” (p. 36) between
pop-top was open, showing neatly arranged
myselfandtheparticipantsintheclassandthecom-
shelvesfilledwithbrightlycoloredvegetables
munity. I could step away and “reflect on [my]
and boxes of Mexican food.Yaneth was hop-
actions through the eyes of the ‘other’s” actions
ping around licking a sucker, stopping only
(Rhoads, 2003, p. 239), acknowledging “response longenoughtorunupandhugme.
data” from participants who forced me to “signifi- After a brief wait, we went inside, some
cantlyreconstruct[my]interpretation”ofmyactions twenty students crowding into the one-bed-
asIengagedintheprocess(St.Pierre,1997,p.184). roomapartment.TheminuteIsatdownonthe
In a text informed by “deconstructive reflexivity,” I couch, Isabel said, “Permiso,” [Excuse me.]
am able to be confessional and critical of my own and disappeared into the bedroom. She
returned with a bag of papers, and within ten
actions in interacting with a university class and an
minutes, as the students stood observing, we
immigrant community (Denzin, 2003, p. 236). My
had glanced at all the school papers and the
commitment to using a critical lens to examine my
doctorbills....Iwasfinallyabletobreakinto
practiceintersectswithmycommitmenttodevelopa
thelitanyofrequestsforhelpinterpretingthe
theoryofpraxis“guidedbycriticalrefectionand...
stacks of papers to introduce Isabel to Kathy,
revolutionary praxis” (McClaren, 1997, p. 170), the student who would be her partner for the
informedbymy“positionalityasboth[subject]and semester. Each nervously uttered greetings,
[object]ofthegaze”(p.149)ofcriticalself-reflexivi- andasImovedaway,theybegantheirnegoti-
61
Tilley-Lubbs
ations for their weekly meetings. By the time empathy, but in rereading the words through the
we left, they were excitedly making plans for deconstructive lens of conscientização (Freire,
Kathy’s twice-a-week trip to Roanoke. 1970), her word choices epitomized Eby’s (1998)
(Journal,fall2002) cautions about service-learning.A young university
student placed herself as a role model providing
Ipresentthisexcerptfrommyjournalaboutatyp-
“guidance”toadultparentsresponsiblefortheirfam-
icalworkdaytoaidinunderstandingthesituationand
ilies’ livelihood, demonstrating her deficit notion
mind-setthatguidedmyworkatthetime,toprovide
regardingnon-dominantgroups.
a baseline for the rest of the story. Looking back at
This journal, which I posted to the class listserv,
thisvignette,Iamawareoftheimplicitsocialhierar-
representsmythinkingatthetime:
chybeingestablished,butatthetimeIwrotethis,my
only concerns focused on responding to perceived Asseveralofyoupointedout,weareverydif-
community needs and providing an opportunity for ferentfromtheLionsClubdescribedbyMichael
everyone to meet. I enacted historianWise’s (1980) Nava(1998)inCharity4.Themostimportantdif-
words:“[A]nironicsituationoccurswhentheconse- ference in my opinion is that I know and love
quences of an act are diametrically opposed to the eachandeveryoneofthefolksweworkwith,
originalintention,"and"whenthefundamentalcause andtheyknowthat.Theyknowalsothatthestu-
dentswhoworkwiththemcometohaveasimi-
ofthedisparityliesintheactorhimself,andhisorig-
larfeelingaboutthem,andtheyrespondinkind.
inalpurpose"(p.300).
Wearenotsimplybuyinganonymousgiftsfor
How ItAll Started anonymouspeople;wearesharingthebountyof
our world with those whose material blessings
From the inception of the workday to the student arefewerthanours.Everyitemofclothingthat
interrogationofthepractice,itneveroccurredtome was selected yesterday had a face or name
that I was creating a hierarchical situation between behind it. Our gifts were for persons, for indi-
viduals.(Journal,fall2002)
two groups of people whose life circumstances and
socioeconomicstatusdifferedsignificantly.Iwasjust
doing what I had always done, trying to respond to
Mydiscomfortliesnotonlyinmypatronizingatti-
peoplewhoaskedforhelpofanykind.Theonlydif- tudes, but also in the knowledge that my attitudes
ferencewasmyinclusionofstudentsandfamiliesin shapedthethinkingofgroupsofstudentsandcom-
theprocess. munity members, my tone of beneficent charity
Uptothattimeinmylife,mywayofbeinginand attemptingtojustifybehavioraboutwhichIalready
serving the world included beneficent acts in felt uneasy. I include this embarrassing passage
response to requests from the community. because I suspect I am not alone in having reacted
Inadvertently, through my sense of empathy, I con- thiswayasaservice-learninginstructorshapedbya
verted my sense of caring into perceiving need lifeofserviceinthecommunity.
among the families, subconsciously developing a
deficitnotionaboutthefamilies.Insodoing,Ifailed Student Uprising
toappreciatetheirdemonstrationsofstrengthasevi-
I was not prepared for the class discussion that
dencedbytheirabilitytocopeadequatelyandinde-
ensued following the actual workday as students
pendentlyinanewandoftenaliensociety(Nieto&
questionedtheirownfeelingsandthoseofthefami-
Bode, 2008). In other words, I was practicingkind-
lieswevisited,tosaynothingofmyroleinfacilitat-
ness propelled by emotions and a sense of service
ingtheevent.Someexpresseddiscomfortatourmid-
(Morton, 1999), completely oblivious to the ramifi-
dle class co-opting of another’s space and privacy.
cationsofmyactionsinregardtostudents’interpre-
Lizreferredto“draggingahugegroupofuniversity
tationsoftheevent:
students to people’s apartments,” which Bill called
The service-learning workday has already “tourismofthemarginalized.”Lizsaid,“Howwould
helpedmeonmyjourneytounderstandingthe youfeelifabigoleRydermovingvanpulledupto
impactofthelittlethingsthatpeoplecandoto your apartment and then a bunch of students
helpothers.Bysimplydonatingclothes,shoes, swarmed out and crowded into your apartment to
andhouseholditems,wewereabletobrighten stareatyoulikeanimalsinthezoo?”Shealsostated
several families’lives. From house to house I thatshefeltquiteuncomfortablewithmypicturetak-
learned the real need for our services. Each
ing as if the families were exhibits. I never had
householdhaddifferentneedsandwantsfrom
thoughtalongthoselines;Isimplywantedtocreate
thestudents,buttheyallneededourguidance.
archivesfortheclass.
(Tina,September2002)
Theentirethree-hourclasswasfueledbyconver-
AtthetimeIreadthisreflection,Ifocusedonher sationabouttheworkday,charity,andthetruemean-
62
GoodIntentionsPavetheWaytoHierarchy
ingofservice-learning.Ifeltdefensiveandirritated, dentsandthefamiliestomeeteachother,but
defendingmyactionsbystatingthatthefamiliesstill at the same time, it is a day fraught with the
neededhelpgettingestablishedandtheworkdaypro- danger of embedding Otherness in the stu-
vided the opportunity to deliver clothing and furni- dents’ and the families’ consciousness/sub-
consciousness.(fall2002)
turepeoplecontinuedtogiveme.However,thetwo
most vocal objectors did not buy my explanations.
I was accustomed to reading journals submitted by
Truthbetold,atthetime,Iwasnotacknowledging,
studentswho,chargedwithexplainingtheirreasons
even to myself, that it also provided an opportunity
for taking the class, wrote about wanting to “help
for me to empty my garage of the mountains of
people out” or to “help the less fortunate,” familiar
goodspeopleconstantlydonated,probablyalsotak-
phrases that frame the altruism of the middle class.
ing advantage of the opportunity to clean out their
However,thatclassshookmybeliefsabouttheright-
ownclosets,drawers,houses.
ness of the workday as students critically evaluated
For the first time class members critically ques-
thepractice.Idescribetheexperienceasthecritical
tionedmypractices,andtheensuingdiscussionwas
point of conscientização (Freire, 1970) that first
heatedandcontroversial.Astheconversationswirled
causedmetofeelself-doubtaboutthepractice.
aroundme,Iobservedtheclass,watchingthevaried
Uptothatpoint,myvisionincludedfacilitatinga
emotionsandopinions.ThinkingIhaditfiguredout,
classtofosterchangewithinstudents,causingthem
IexplainedtothemthatalthoughIamanonlychild,
tobecomeagentsofchangeinsociety.Ineveronce
Igrewupinalargeextendedfamilythatconstantly
consideredtheycouldserveasagentsofchangefor
passed clothes around depending on each person’s
methroughwhatIperceivedatthetimetobeprob-
currentsizeorneeds.Ifeltsoclosetothelocalfam-
ing, hurtful criticisms and accusations directed
iliesthatsharingwiththemwassimplyanextension
towardme.Myidealisticnotionsawthestudentsas:
of what I have always done. Whoever had more
sharedwiththeonewhoneededhelp,butIfailedto [L]eavenintheevolutionofacriticalmassof
seethatmyfamilydidnotincludeagreatvariationin thosewho,whatevertheirprofessionorstatus
social or economic status, and that our clothing in society, will have the compassion, con-
exchanges tended to be reciprocal, vastly different science, and competence to act in solidarity
fromthedynamicsofalargegroupofstudentstak- withthepoorandmostneglectedmembersof
societyascriticallythinkingagentsofchange
ingclothesandfurnituretonewlyimmigratedfami-
committedtothefashioningofamorehumane
lieswhomtheyweremeetingforthefirsttime,cre-
andjustworld.(Wood,1998,p.192)
ating structures of power and privilege that would
extendthroughoutthesemester.IfeltasifIhadbeen Nonetheless,whenthestudentsactedinunconscious
pushedintoa“disturbinglyvulnerableplacewhereI solidarity with the community by questioning my
wasforcedtoconfrontmyineptitude”(Vacarr,2001, practices, my knee-jerk reaction was irritation and
p. 286). Unlike Vacarr, however, I was unable to defensiveness. The journal entries for the week
moveawayfrommydisequilibriumtocreateateach- reflected student protests, but because I read them
ingmoment.Iallowedmyannoyancetopreventmy wearing blinders of caring (Noddings, 1999)
revealing my humanity that framed an error in my about/for the community, I did not hear the student
judgment.Ioptedinsteadtomaintainthe“all-power- voicesuntilIreanalyzedthejournals.
fulSuperTeacher”(p.290)stance.Uptothistime,I The following spring, I defended my dissertation
hadresidedcomfortablyinmypositionofpowerand basedonresearchconductedinfall2002.Twocom-
privilege,believingthatifIchosetoignoretheirexis- mittee members knew reaction papers I wrote for
tence, I could create an environment in which the theircoursesindicatingthatthroughCTBIsoughtto
societalconstructsofrace,class,andotherhierarchi- provideanenvironmentthatwouldfosterreciprocal
calconceptscouldbeblurredbymy“goodness.”At relationships between university students and com-
that point, I subconsciously began to confront my munity members. When one committee member
motives,butIchosetoremaincloakedindenialand asked,“Kris,doyourealizethatyouaresettingupa
irritation,unabletoacknowledgethesituationIhad situation in which all the participants involved will
created.Fortunately,Ihadcreatedaclassthatencour- perceivethestudentsasthe‘haves’andthecommu-
agedquestioning,evenifIhadnotintendedtobethe
nity members as the ‘have-nots’of society?”, I was
objectofthequestions.
soshockedthatIcouldnotreply.Iknewshewascor-
Myjournalfromthefollowingweekdemonstrates
rect;sheconfirmedwhatthestudentshadsaidandI
changetakingplaceinmythinking:
hadignored.
AlthoughIpassedthedefense,Ispentweeksread-
In a way, the workday is a powerful agent in
providing a means of taking the first steps ing social justice literature and critically examining
towarderasingOthernessbyallowingthestu- bothmypracticeandtheoreticalframeworkpriorto
63
Tilley-Lubbs
publishingtheresearchontheuniversity’selectronic grantstoliveinmarginalizedcircumstances,Iinter-
dissertation library (http://www.lib.vt.edu/find/ posed my own previous acts of random kindness,
etds.php).Afterthatsemester,Icontinuedthework- described by some of my colleagues in my depart-
daysfortwomoresemesters,beforefinallyconced- mentasmy“missionaryzeal,”asamodelfortherela-
ing that the practice reflected theory inconsistent tionships which would frame the CTB experience.
with my beliefs about hierarchy (Boyle-Baise & Ratherthanfosteringreciprocitythroughsharedlan-
Kilbane,2000;Camacho,2004;Eby,1998;Morton, guageandculture,Icreatedadeficitnotionregarding
1995;Pompa,2002;Ransford,2000). thecommunity.
The patriarchal society in which I grew up pro-
Gaining an Understanding
motescharitableactsasbeneficentandvirtuous.Iam
a member of a church that considers service to
As my academic life continued, I became con-
humankind to be of the highest calling, whether in
sumedwithotherconcerns,buttheissueofthework-
manual labor to build a house through Habitat for
daystayedinmymindasabothersometopicIneed-
Humanity or in donations to Heifer Project
ed to address honestly and openly at some point, if
International.Mycodeformoralbehaviorissimilar
fornootherreasonthanmycertaintythatIwasnot
toKant’smoralphilosophythatextolledalifeseek-
the only service-learning practitioner whose prac-
inghowtocomplywithmyethicalobligations,pre-
ticeswereinconsistentwithherbeliefs.AsIreflect-
cipitated by the question: “What ought I to do?”
edontheworldIgrewupin,IrealizedIamtheprod-
(Johnson, 2004, p. 1). Perhaps Lamott (2005) best
uctofapaternalistic,hierarchicalsocietythatsocial-
sumsuptheguidingprinciplethathasframedmylife
izedmetobelieveinaltruisticbehavior(Wildman&
foraslongasIcanremember:“Youdowhatyoucan,
Davis,2000).Asamemberofthedominantculture,
what good people have always done: you bring
Iamoftenunabletorecognizemyprivilege.Byunin-
thirstypeoplewater,youshareyourfood,youtryto
tentional actions with good intentions, I have the
help the homeless find shelter, you stand up for the
ability to perform hurtful acts, and I questioned
underdog” (pp. 307-308). However, CTB indicated
whetherthatwasthecasewiththeworkdays.
thefirsttimeIincludedstudentsandfamiliesinmy
Eby(1998)positsthatalthoughservice-learningis
effortsandbeliefs.
atransformativepedagogythathelpsstudentsdevel-
Igrewupinanenvironmentprobablytypicalofa
opsocialresponsibilitytowardthecommunity,alack
generation of baby-boomers who were affected by
ofunderstandingaboutunderlyingsocietalsituations
Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in
may leave students with the impression that need
1963.Wejoinedhandsinsisterhoodandsolidarity.I
existsinamarginalizedcommunity,andthattheycan
wasappalledtorecognizethatmyentireperspective
“fix”theneedbytheirpresenceor“help.”According
abouttheworldandtheworkdayscontributedtothe
toEby,suchsimplisticviewsofsocialproblemslead
oppressivebehaviorIabhor.Iwasblatantlyexercis-
to an emphasis on deficiencies in the community,
ing my White privilege to create invisible racism
ratherthanfosteringappreciationfortheirstrengths.
(Tatum,2000)andclassism(Ransford,2000).Atthis
AlthoughIagreedwithEby’sarguments,onlyafterI
timeofself-searching,Behar’s(1996)voicealsores-
began to question my practices did I completely
onated with my discomfort as she talked about the
understandhisconcernsregardinginvolvingstudents
vulnerability of the researcher placing herself in the
inanon-dominantcommunity.
research.IfeltIcouldnotleaveoutthisrevelationof
Theironyofthisnarrativeisthatthecontinuum
myowntransformationandremaintruetothebeliefs
ofmytransformationaljourneywasprecipitatedby
thatshapewhoIam,notonlyasaresearcher,butalso
student questioning, a journey that changed me
asaperson.
from enacting a deficit notion of the community,
whichIinturnimplicitlyhadbeencommunicating
The Conundrum
tothestudents.
Similarly,indesigningacourseinwhichmembers Nonetheless,justasIwascontemplatinglettingmy
ofanon-dominantcommunityserveastext,teachers, friends and church family know that I could not
students, and collaborators for a course whose mis- accept any more items for the families, I received a
sion espouses a social justice precept, my responsi- callfromAracely,whohadbeenintheprogramfor
bility lay in facilitating relationships that would not the first three semesters, letting me know she had
reinforce existing societal constructs based on returned from Mexico after a year and a half back
inequity and Othering. However, “random, individ- homewithherfamily,andshehadnoclothesorfur-
ual acts of kindness” underscored my practice as I niture. Could I help her? Once again, the van and
worked from “emotional response and not [my] pickup truck made their way across town to deliver
head” (Morton, 1999). While pushing students to the clothes and furniture stored in my garage, this
deeplyexaminesocietalpracticesthatcausedimmi- timewiththeassistanceofmyfamilyandonestudent
64
GoodIntentionsPavetheWaytoHierarchy
whom I called to ask if he could bring his pickup thataretop-down,helper-helpee,butnonhierarchical
trucktohelpwiththedelivery.Thatoccasionrepre- relationshipsinthesensethateachpartnerhassome-
sented the final large delivery we made, either thing to gain and each has something to give”
throughtheclassorpersonally. (Jackson&Smothers,1998,p.113).Additionally,I
Eventodaytheneedstillexistsforsharingorchari- acknowledge that the “served [should] control the
tyorservingorwhateverelsewewanttocallthiscom- service[s] provided,” thus making them “better able
plexconcept,althoughithasadifferentshapethanit to serve and be served by their own actions”
had when CTB began. Many of the families with (Sigmon, 1979, p. 3). Keeping in mind these two
whomwecollaboratehavebecomefairlywellestab- basic precepts of service-learning, I seek creative
lishedanddonotsufferfromthedesperateneedthat waystoinvolvestudentswithfamiliesinempathetic
shapedtheirliveswhentheyfirstimmigrated.Needs relationships that foster attitudes of concern for
continuetoexistwithincreasingfrequency,mirroring social justice and equity not based on deficient
theeconomicdownturntheworldisexperiencing.The notions but rather on a realization of their responsi-
conundrum is how to address appeals from people bility to help people meet their basic needs (Eby,
who have fewer financial resources and subsequent 1998).Iintendtoplacemoreemphasisonthelitera-
needs.Arecentphonecallmademerealizeanewthe tureandclassactivitiesthatdeconstructsocietalcon-
imponderabilityofthesituation,causingtheendofthe texts that affect immigrants to promote an under-
storytotouchthebeginning. standingoftheeconomichardshipinvolvedinimmi-
Marta called to check on me, beginning with her grationbothinleavingthehomecountryandinliv-
usual, “Quería escuchar su voz.” [I wanted to hear inginthehostcountryaswellasthediscriminatory
yourvoice.]Herhusbandquithisjobatalocaldairy, practices that restrain many immigrant lives, affect-
tired of constant abuse from the owner, but he con- ingtheiropportunitiesforearningalivingwage.
tinues to face great difficulty finding constant, con- When I receive random calls from people asking
sistentworkinconstruction,areflectionofthegen- for help, I will devise ways to involve students per-
eraleconomy.Iknewtheyhadmovedinthespring sonally in the process of reaching out to people in
from the trailer provided by the dairy into a small their moments of authentic need. If a time comes
house in a nearby town, and I had accepted her when economic necessity determines a need for
excuse of the move for terminating her relationship reestablishingthewidescaledistributionoffoodand
with the CTB students who visited her weekly. Not clothes,Iwillabandontheroleoftryingto“fix”the
untilwetalkedlastweekdidshesharethattherea- situation single-handedly. I will invite students and
sonshecouldnolongerhostthestudentswasdueto womentocometogetheranddiscussthepossibilities
the fact that she had no food in the house to offer for identifying and addressing community needs. I
whentheyvisited,afactthatembarrassedhergreat- play with the idea of returning to the Nava (1998)
ly.Nowtheyarefeelingmoresecure,buttheirbud- piece,havingthestudentsandwomenworktogether
get is still tight and she tentatively inquired if we insmallgroupstoreadthestoryanddeconstructthe
could loan them some money. Her call was one of impersonal charity that framed the event. I would
several, reflecting the recent lack of work many suspect that by brainstorming together they might
immigrantsface. comeupwithsolutionsthatwouldbefarbetterthan
anyIcoulddevise.Icanenvisionresultingreciproc-
If I Had KnownThen . . .
ity, which would then form the basis for critically
thinkingaboutwaysforthefamiliestoaddresstheir
Reflectingontheseconversations,Iamconfronted
needs.Throughdialogue,thestudentsshouldbeable
anewbythepropositionofhowtoprovideassistance
torecognizeconnectionsbetweenthefamilies’situa-
withoutdeepeningthedivideofthe“haves”andthe
tionsandthesocialcontextsinwhichtheyarerooted
“have-nots”ofsociety.Onapersonallevel,Icontin-
as they move through the “cycle of theory, applica-
ue to operate from the point of view Behar (1993)
tion,evaluation,reflection,andthenbacktotheory”
described in talking about her dealings with
(Freire, 1998, p. 75) and thus into conscientização.
Esperanza, a Mexican peasant whom Behar inter-
The bottom line is the imperativeness of involving
viewed over a period of years: I remain honored to
thewomenintheprocessofpraxistotransformchar-
serveastheircomadre[friendwhohasmoreandthus
ityintocollaboration.
canshare].
Bystartingtheplacementswithaworkday,Iwas
TheAftermath
overtly, albeit unconsciously, establishing the stu-
dents and myself as dominant members of society After I discontinued the workday, some changes
and the families as the marginalized. At the same occurred. The students and families still needed an
time,Irecognizethat“[s]ervice-learningisawayof opportunity to meet prior to beginning their partner-
building relationships; not hierarchical relationships ships, so we began having a Meet and Greet as the
65
Tilley-Lubbs
third class meeting. These potluck social times took cepts of service-learning (Jackson & Smothers,
placeinmychurchfellowshiphall,providingneutral 1998). The necessity of constantly including the
groundfortwoseeminglydisparategroupsofpeople community members in decisions and policy-shap-
to meet without automatic assumptions regarding ingisimperative,whichIdobymeetingperiodical-
power and privilege. Also, because the students no ly with the women to seek their input about their
longer spend 8-10 hours on the workday, I cut the goals regarding the program and how the students
required hours back to 40. As more of the children andIcanbesthelpthemachievethosegoals.Asser-
beganattendingelementaryschool,theneedfortutor- vice-learning instructors practice critical examina-
ingandhomeworkhelphasincreased,sothestudents tionfromavarietyofdisciplines,pedagogicalprac-
tend to spend more time working with the children tices,methods,andtheoreticalframeworks,thechal-
than with their former service-learning activities that lenge is to begin/continue to examine our efforts
focusedonthewomen’sneedsforinterpretationand through the crucible of self-reflexivity. This critical
social navigation. I now incorporate more literature examinationofmypracticesseekstoengageindia-
aboutmulticulturaleducation,suchasNietoandBode logue with other service-learning researchers and
(2008),aswechallengethedeficitnotionsthatframe practitioners as we consistently interrogate our own
publicschoolingforimmigrants. practices.
Inrecentyears,thewomensteppedintoleadership
Notes
roles with the students, constantly making sugges-
tions about the partnerships, whether regarding
scheduling, course content, or expectations for stu- Iwouldliketothanktheeditor,JeffreyHoward,andthe
dents.Thewomennowleadbusierlivesthatinclude threeanonymousrefereesfortheirmosthelpfulcomments
aswellasJenniferMcCloud,whonowservesasthegrad-
jobs,church,children’sschoolactivities,andfriends,
uateresearchassistantfortheservice-learningexperience
so they determine their availability based on their
andwhotirelesslyreadsmyworkandprovidesvaluable
convenience,ratherthanacceptingwhatevertimethe
insightsasIcriticallyexaminemypractice.
students suggest, as was the case in the beginning.
Initially,thestudentsandwomendidafinalcollabo- 1 AlthoughIrefertotheMexicanandHondurancom-
rativemediaprojecttalkingaboutthewomen’slives munity,inactualityinthelocalewheremyworkissituat-
ed, the two groups do not often intersect. Nonetheless
intheirhomecountries,theirimmigration,andtheir
withintheconfinesofCTB,thecontextofthispaper,the
lives in the United States. The women expressed
two groups do intersect and interact frequently. I avoid
boredomwithrepeatingthestoryeverysemester,and
using“Latino”inanattempttocircumventgeneralization
they now determine a new topic each semester,
andstereotypingofSpanishspeakerswhoimmigratefrom
choosingtopicssuchasthedifficultyoflivinginthe
southofourborder.Inaddition,thewomenwhomIinter-
United States and not speaking English. They also view as part of my research self-identify as Mexican or
takeresponsibilityforholdingthestudentsaccount- Honduran. In certain places, I do use the term “Latino”
able for their commitments, informing me of any whenquotingorreferringtostatementsmadebystudents.
infractionstheyareunabletoresolve.Fromtheway
2 In this paper, journal and field notes will be used
thewomenspeakandbehave,Ibelievetheyperceive
interchangeablytorefertomypersonalwritings.
themselvestobestakeholderswitha“votingvoice”
intheprogram.Theirenactedfreedomtodirecttheir 3 Allnamesusedinthispaperarepseudonymstopro-
tecttheparticipants’privacy.
experiencesreinforcesmybeliefinthepowerofcrit-
ical pedagogy to effect emancipatory attitudes and 4 In preparation for the workday, the students read a
roles(Freire,1997/2005;Kincheloe,2008). memoir about being the recipient of the generic benefi-
Would these changes have happened if the work- cenceoftheLionsClubatChristmastimewhenhewasa
dayshadcontinuedtoplacethemintheroleofrecip- young child whose family had recently emigrated from
Cuba.
ientsofcharity?Idon’tknow.
AWord of Optimistic Caution References
In my exploration of the implications of placing
Arries,J.(1999).Criticalpedagogyandservice-learningin
university students in a traditionally non-dominant Spanish:CrossingbordersintheFreshmanSeminar.In
immigrant community, I reinforced my belief that J. Hellebrandt & L T. Varona (Eds.), Construyendo
such partnerships are rich and meaningful for most puentes (Building bridges): Concepts and models for
participants, but the instructor who chooses to service-learning in Spanish (pp. 33-48). Washington,
engage an immigrant community in such a partner- D.C.: American Association for Higher Education,
ship needs to exercise extreme caution in regard to 1999.
fostering Othering and reinforcing social hierarchy, Behar,R.(1993).Translatedwoman:Crossingtheborder
concepts that are diametrically opposed to the pre- withEsperanza’sstory.Boston:Beacon.
66
GoodIntentionsPavetheWaytoHierarchy
Behar,R.(1996).Thevulnerableobserver:Anthropology González,N.,Moll,L.,Tenery,M.F.,Rivera,A.,Rendon,
thatbreaksyourheart.Boston:Beacon. P., González, R.,Amanti, C. (1995). Funds of knowl-
edge for teaching in Latino households. Urban
Boyle-Baise,M.,&Kilbane,J.(2000).Whatreallyhap-
Education,29(4),443-470.
pens?A look inside service-learning for multicultural
teacher education. Michigan Journal of Community Greenberg,J.,&Moll,L.C.(1990).Creatingzonesofpos-
ServiceLearning,7,54-64. sibilities: Combiningsocialcontextsforinstruction. InL.
C. Moll, (Ed.), Vygotsky and education: Instructional
Camacho, M. M. (2004). Power and privilege: implicationsandapplicationsofsociohistoricalpsychol-
Community service-learning in Tijuana. Michigan ogy(pp.319-348).Cambridge:CambridgeUniversity.
JournalofCommunityServiceLearning,10(3),31-42.
Jackson, S.A. & Smothers, T. L. (1998). The Southern
Darder,A.(1991).Cultureandpowerintheclassroom:A Volunteer Corps at West Virginia Wesleyan. In J. L.
criticalfoundationforbiculturaleducation.NewYork: DeVitis,R.W.Johns,&D.L.Simpson(Eds.),Thespir-
Greenwood. itofcommunityinliberaleducation(pp.102-120).New
York:PeterLang.
Denzin, N. (2003). Performance ethnography: Critical
pedagogy and the politics of culture.Thousand Oaks, Johnson,R.N.(2004).Kant’smoralphilosophy.Stanford
CA:Sage. encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved November 7,
2007fromhttp://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/
Dewey, J. (1929/1997). My pedagogic creed. In D. J.
Kiely,R.(2004).Achameleonwithacomplex:Searching
Flinders&S.J.Thornton(Eds.),Thecurriculumstud-
for transformation in international service-learning.
ies reader (pp. 17-23). New York: Routledge.
Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning,
(Reprinted from Journal of National Education
10(2),5-20.
Association,18,291-295,1929.)
Kiely,R.(2005).Atransformativelearningmodelforser-
Dunlap, M.; Scroggin, J.; Green, P.; & Davi,A. (2007).
vice-learning: A longitudinal case study. Michigan
Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning,
JournalofCommunityServiceLearning,12(1),5-22.
13(2),19-30.
Kincheloe, J. (2005). Foreword. In L. D. Soto & B. B.
Eby,J.W.(1998).Whyservice-learningisbad.Retrieved Swadener(Eds.),Powerandvoiceinresearchwithchil-
May 10, 2006 from http://www.messiah.edu/external_ dren(pp.1-6).NewYork:PeterLang.
programs/agape/service_learningarticles/wrongsvc.pdf.
Kincheloe,J.(2008).Criticalpedagogy,2nded.NY:Peter
Etherington,K.(2004).Becomingareflexiveresearcher: Lang.
Using our selves in research. Philadelphia: Jessica
Kirsch, G. E. (1999). Ethical dilemmas in feminist
Kingsley.
research: The politics of location, interpretation, and
Ellis, C. (2004). The ethnographic I: A methodological publication.Albany,NY:StateUniversityofNewYork.
novel about teaching and doing autoethnography.
Lamott,A.(2005).PlanB:Furtherthoughtsonfaith.New
WalnutCreek,CA:AltaMira.
York,NY:Riverhead.
Ellis, C. (2009). Revision: Autoethnographic reflections Lather, P. (1991). Getting smart: Feminist research and
onlifeandwork.WalnutCreek,CA:LeftCoast. pedagogy with/in the postmodern. New York:
Routledge.
Eyler,J.,Giles,D.,&Schmeide,A.(1996).Apractition-
er’s guide to reflection in service learning: Students’ McLaren, P. (1997). Revolutionary multiculturalism:
voices and reflection. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt Pedagogiesofdissentforthenewmillennium.Boulder,
University. CO:Westview.
Fine,M.(1998).Workingthehyphens:ReinventingSelf Mitchell, T. D. (2008). Traditional vs. critical service-
and Other in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & learning: Engaging the literature to differentiate two
Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.), The landscape of qualitative models. Michigan Journal of Community Service
research:Theoriesandissues(pp.130-155).Thousand Learning,14(2),50-65.
Oaks,CA:Sage. Morton,K.(1995).Theironyofservice:Charity,project
and social change in service-learning. Michigan
Foucault, J. (1980). Power/Knowledge: Selected inter-
JournalofCommunityServiceLearning,2,19-32.
viewsandotherwritings.Brighton,UK:Harvester.
Morton,K.(1999).Starfishhurlingandcommunityservice.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Bergman
Retrieved July 5, 2008 from http://www.mncampus
Ramos,M.(Trans).NewYork:Continuum.
compact.org/
Freire, P. (1997/2005). Teachers as cultural workers: Nava, M. (1998). Charity. In E. Santiago & J. Davidow
Letters to those who dare to teach. Cambridge, MA: (Eds.),LasChristmas(pp.51-58).NewYork:Vintage.
Westview.
Nieto, S., & Bode, P. (2008). Affirming diversity: The
Freire, P. (1998). Pedagogy of hope. New York: sociopolitical context of multicultural education.
Continuum. Boston:Pearson,Allyn,andBacon.
67
Tilley-Lubbs
Noddings, N. (1999). Caring and competence. In G. A. Vacarr, B. (2001). Moving beyond polite correctness:
Griffith (Ed.), The education of teachers: Ninety-eighth Practicing mindfulness in the diverse classroom.
Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of HarvardEducationalReview,71(2),285-295.
Education(PartI)(pp.205-220).Chicago:Universityof
Wildman, S. M. & Davis, A. D. (2000). Language and
Chicago.
silence: Making systems of privilege visible. In M.
Peters,M.A.,&Burbules,N.C.(2004).Poststructuralism Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. W.
and educational research. New York: Roman and Hackman,M.L.Peters,&X.Zúñiga(Eds.),Readings
Littlefield. forsocialdiversityandsocialjustice:Ananthologyon
racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism,
Pompa, L. (2002). Service-learning as crucible: andclassism(pp.50-60).NY:Routledge.
Reflectionsonimmersion,context,power,andtransfor-
Wise,Gene.(1980).Americanhistoricalexplanations:A
mation. Michigan Journal of Community Service
strategyforgroundedinquiry.2nded,rev.Minneapolis,
Learning,9(1),67-76.
MN:UniversityofMinnesota.
Ransford,M.E.(2000).Twohierarchies.InM.Adams,W.
Wood, William J. (1998). Santa Clara University’s
J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. W. Hackman, M. L.
Eastsideproject:Apilgrimagetowardourownhuman-
Peters,&X.Zúñiga(Eds.),Readingsforsocialdiversi-
ity.InE.Zlotkowski(Ed.),Successfulservice-learning
ty and social justice: An anthology on racism, anti-
programs:Newmodelsofexcellenceinhighereduca-
Semitism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, and classism
tion(pp.189-209).Bolton,MA:Anker.
(pp.412-418).NY:Routledge.
Author
Rhoads, R. (2003), Traversing the great divide: Writing
theselfintoqualitativeresearchandnarrative.InN.K. GresildaA.Tilley-Lubbs([email protected])isassis-
Denzin(Ed.),Studiesinsymbolicinteractionism(235- tantprofessorofSecondLanguageEducation/ESLat
259).Boston:Elsevier. VirginiaPolytechnicInstituteandStateUniversityin
Blacksburg, Virginia. She teaches and writes about
Rockquemore,K.A.,&Schaffer,R.H.(2000).Towarda
critical pedagogy and theory, service-learning in
theoryofengagement:Acognitivemappingofservice-
teacher education and multicultural education,
learningexperiences.MichiganJournalofCommunity
transnationalissuesthatimpacteducationforimmi-
ServiceLearning,7,14-25.
grantchildren,qualitativeresearch,ethnographyand
Sigmon,R.L.(1979).Service-learning:Threeprinciples. autoethnography. Her most recent scholarship criti-
Synergist,9-10. callyexaminesherteachingpractice.
St. Pierre, E. A., & Pillow, W. S. (2000). Working the
ruins: Feminist poststructural theory and methods in
education.NewYork:Routledge.
St.Pierre,E.A.(1997).Methodologyinthefoldandthe
irruptionoftransgressivedata.InternationalJournalof
QualitativeStudiesinEducation,10(2),175-189.
Tatum,B.D.(2000).Definingracism:“Canwetalk?”In
M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. W.
Hackman,M.L.Peters,&X.Zúñiga(Eds.),Readings
forsocialdiversityandsocialjustice:Ananthologyon
racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism,
andclassism(pp.79-82).NY:Routledge.
Tilley-Lubbs,G.A.(2003a).Crossingtheborderthrough
service-learning:The power of cross-cultural relation-
ships. In J. A. Hellebrandt, J. Arries, & L T. Varona
(Eds.), JUNTOS: Community partnerships in Spanish
andPortuguese.Boston:Heinle.
Tilley-Lubbs,G.A.(2003b).Crossingtheborderthroughser-
vice-learning: The power of cross-cultural relationships.
Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Virginia Polytechnic
InstituteandStateUniversity,Blacksburg,VA.
Tilley-Lubbs,G.A.(2007).Theintersectionoftheacade-
my and the community: Researching relationships
through community-based education. InA.Wurr & J.
Hellebrandt(Eds.),Learningthelanguageofglobalcit-
izenship: Service-learning in applied linguistics.
Bolton,MA:Anker.
68