Towards an Africanisation of community engagement and service learning
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Date
2013-06
Authors
Preece, Julia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Education, University of the Free State
Abstract
This article argues that the South African research community could benefit by engaging in more
collaborative partnerships within the African continent in relation to community engagement. This
argument relates to literature in South Africa concerning an Africanised notion of service learning
(SL) and community engagement (CE), university contributions to sustainable development, and recent
discussions which suggest that South Africa is ready to explore local solutions to local problems in Africa.
The article briefly introduces the global interest in universities and engagement, followed by a reflection
on the historical context for African universities in this regard. The South African context is highlighted
as a major player in advancing research and scholarship in relation to CE and SL. The article then refers
to concerns within the South African research community that reflect the need for greater theorisation,
a deepening of our understanding of how to Africanise an agenda, which has been, to a large extent,
imported from the West, and how to address community perspectives and sustainable development in
relation to CE and SL.
The article concludes that one way forward is to explore the potential for intra-continental collaborations
and comparative studies in order to expand our understanding of some of the above issues. Some
examples of initiatives, studies and publications from other African countries are cited to illustrate ways
in which mutual learning might take place across the continent. Key themes from these studies include
the use of multi-partner collaborations, networking, a focus on community relationships, interdisciplinary
approaches to community-identified concerns, and the application and elaboration of context-specific
indigenous knowledge. It is suggested that one of the strengths of country initiatives outside of South
Africa is their focus on CE which informs SL, rather than the other way around. Conversely, South African
theoretical and pedagogical perspectives on SL can contribute to a broader understanding of this aspect
within higher education institutions on the continent.
Description
Keywords
Collaborative partnerships, Community engagement, Sustainable development, Interdisciplinary approaches, Indigenous knowledge
Citation
Preece, J. (2013). Towards an Africanisation of community engagement and service learning. Perspectives in Education, 31(2), 114-122.