Chapter 4: Relational Knowledge Production and the Dynamics of Difference: Exploring Cross-cultural Tensions in Service-learning Through Narrative

In this chapter we 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, we present a thematic narrative analysis (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) that shares the participants’ emotional and cognitive experiences of tutoring Burundian children with refugee status.¹ The process of producing these narratives informed our recommended strategies and considerations for those about to enter a service-learning setting, including our 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.