Behavioral Shifts in Students' Awareness and Reactions to the Homeless

Abstract

In attempts to foster empathy and altruistic responses among higher-education students towards, for example, the homeless and impoverished, a number of universities have been experimenting with alternative teaching methods than simple didactic instruction. In this study, we explored the reactions among 23 undergraduate students at a university in the Midwest that employed a required “poverty immersion” weekend as part of course pedagogy to instill personal connections and responses to the indigent. Through semi-structured interviews, we queried the subsequent behavioral responses of the students one month post-immersion. Specifically, some students reported involvement with urban services beyond the requirements of their course: a novel experience for some and a rekindled dedication for others. In addition, some students showed modifications in their spending habits, increases in charitable giving and decreases in frivolous expenditures.