Relational Knowledge Production and the Dynamics of Difference: Exploring Cross-Cultural Tensions in Service-Learning through Narrative

In this chapter the authors discuss the design of a university service-learning course Social Justice and Education, and the experiential narratives of three course participants: Katharine, Jessica, and Nick. Subsequently, the authors present a thematic narrative analysis (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) that shares the participants' emotional and cognitive experiences of tutoring Burundian children with refugee status. The process of producing these narratives informed the authors' recommended strategies and considerations for those about to enter a service-learning setting, including their suggestion for the use of narrative as a course methodology. The three individual narratives and thematic narrative analysis provided at the end of the chapter serve to represent the multi-dimensionality of Katharine's, Jessica's, and Nick's knowledge, experience, and critical reflections and demonstrate a potential methodology for improving service-learning practices.