Teaching Global Citizenship, Social Change, and Economic Development in a History Course: A Course Model in Latin American Travel/Service Learning

For educators, the anti-globalization movement has created a literature of opposition which offers enhanced opportunities for teaching critical analysis of neo-liberal political economy. The movement also aids those who wish to teach how First World wealth and privilege is functionally related to Third World poverty and underdevelopment. The pedagogy of travel/service learning offers promising advantages in both areas. This paper outlines an innovative history course which has been successful in attaining these outcomes. The author's purpose is to present the course as a model to enhance conventional pedagogies. The course possesses a unique "rotating venue" design which in alternate years travels to Argentina, Peru, or Brazil, where students work in short-term community development projects. The author's underlying assumption is that with some caveats, what students learn in any of these countries can be applied to understanding the greater surrounding region. The author begins by describing the course, its methodologies, and the development of "adoption relationships" with Latin social agencies. He discusses some of the active learning techniques employed to link experiential with conceptual learning. Finally, the author offers a variation on Paulo Freire's theory of concientizacao (consciousness-raising) to explain how First World students can benefit from a travel/service learning experience. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure, and 23 notes.)