Philosopher Kenneth Burke famously described literature as “equipment for living.” The English Department’s Literature, Social Justice, and Community Service curriculum offers students and instructors the opportunity to deepen our understanding of literary studies by sharing literature in service to our communities.
There is a natural overlap between literature, which encourages empathy and allows readers to learn the textures of lives other than their own, and learning in the service of social justice, which seeks to redress social wrongs through direct engagement. Service learning teaches ethical community engagement, meaningful student reflection, attention to historical and social context, the politics of literary forms, and the power of storytelling, drama, and poetry.
Currently, our community partners include the Communities in Schools Reading Buddies Program and the Reading World Literature Program at the Travis County Correctional Institute. We support instructors interested in developing service learning as an aspect of their own teaching through the Literature, Social Justice, and Community Service Reading Group.
The LSJCS working group includes:
Minou Arjomand (arjomand@utexas.edu)
Allen MacDuffie (allenmacduffie@austin.utexas.edu)
Brenda Martinez, Graduate Assistant (bg_martinez@utexas.edu)
Lisa Moore, Director (llmoore@austin.utexas.edu)
John Rumrich (rumrich@austin.utexas.edu)
Ricky Shear, Graduate Assistant (ricky.shear@utexas.edu)
Snehal Shingavi (snehal.shingavi@utexas.edu)