Civic Skill Building: The Missing Component in Service Programs?

GENERAL

Research Abstract
Civic Skill Building: The Missing Component in Service Programs?
This paper suggests one reason for the weak empirical results relative to civic engagement is that many service and volunteer programs have failed to sufficiently address development of fundamental civic skills such as expressing opinions and working collectively to achieve common interests as part of their design. As a result, while some studies of service learning participants show enhanced compassion and interest in social problems generally, those attitudinal changes do not consistently translate into behavioral changes (Eyler, Giles, and Braxton 1997; Perry and Katula 2001). This paper reviews recent empirical studies of community service, service learning, and volunteering, and then frames the consistently strong evidence that participation in clubs and organizations during adolescence leads to higher levels of civic engagement during adulthood within the political participation model developed by Verba, Schlozman, and Brady (1995). (Second paragraph)
This paper reviews recent empirical studies of community service, service learning, and volunteering, and then frames the consistently strong evidence that participation in clubs and organizations during adolescence leads to higher levels of civic engagement during adulthood.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Periodical (article)
Kirlin, Mary
PS: Political Science & Politics
Volume 35, Number 3
1049-0965
August, 2002
PUBLISHER DETAILS

PS: Political Science and Politics, American Political Science Association
1527 New Hampshire Ave., NW
Washington
DC, 20036-1206
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