Street Level Learning: Transforming Understandings of Poverty through Semi-Structured Pedagogies

ABSTRACT

This research explores the pedagogical possibilities of semi-structured immersion experiences for service-learning students through an assessment of “Street Retreats” used by one poverty advocacy organization. Qualitative focus groups with 76 participants who participated in a 4-hour Street Retreat. After the semi-structured immersion, students’ awareness of privilege, perceptions of people in poverty, and stereotype projections began to shift toward a state of critical consciousness. The reinforcement of “us v. them” discourses are also explored.

KEYWORDS:

• Street retreat
• community-engaged learning
• engaged pedagogy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.