PROMPTS: Our service-learning partnerships in this class provide a real-world example
of an organization trying to address social problems in complex systems. Consider the
work that they are doing (and you are participating in), and where/with whom they are
working, to answer the prompts below in no particular order; aim for integrating these
into a flow that makes sense to you. Make sure to identify when you are elaborating
your own perceptions and observations versus course theories, data and evidence, and
partner documents or statements.
- What social/environmental problem(s) is our partner trying to address? Which
social and environmental issues do you see affecting their work, and how?
What is the “unjust equilibrium”? - How can you use different frameworks from class to understand the system in
which our partner is working and interrelated issues affecting the behavior
and experiences of our partner’s constituencies and stakeholders? (e.g.,
consider the iceberg metaphor, the social ecological model, levels of
oppression, root cause analysis, etc.) - What assets and trapped potential might exist in this system, and among our
partner’s constituencies? - How might your service contribute to solving or exacerbating these problems?
To releasing trapped potential? Do you think that your service work addresses
the root causes of these problems? Why or why not?
