Teaching Social Justice through Community Engagement

Abstract

This research was motivated by our desire for our students to achieve a deeper appreciation for the social justice aspect of our field, adult education, and also to engage them with the community. We sought to accomplish these ends as students at two different state universities volunteered to build a home with Habitat for Humanity. Data was collected using focus groups and reflective papers and analyzed using a constant-comparative method. We found that student engagement with Habitat for Humanity resulted in students' personal growth and to a lesser extent they learned something about the potential of adult education to contribute to a more equitable and just society.