Negotiating tensions in a community engaged and intersectionality-informed political science course

Abstract

ABSTRACTThere is growing pressure on Canadian universities to demonstrate their applicability and relevance in contemporary society. Community engaged learning opportunities can respond to this pressure, and can provide important benefits for both students and community partners with whom students work. In this paper, I draw on my experiences of teaching an undergraduate and graduate community engaged political science course over the last four years, to reflect on three particular tensions I have negotiated in the course’s design and delivery, including: (a) teaching about socially engaged research and/or teaching about theories of citizen participation; (b) balancing student learning and community benefit; and (c) negotiating the rigidity of academic institutions. I explore these tensions while thinking about my concurrent commitment to an intersectional political science pedagogy [Rasmussen, Amy Cabrera. 2014. “Reflection: Toward an Intersectional Political Science Pedagogy.” Journal of Political Science Education 10: 102–116], and by drawing on Bivens, Haffenden and Hall’s [2015. “Knowledge, Higher Education, and the Institutionalization of Community-University Research Partnerships.” In Strengthening Community University Research Partnerships: Global Perspectives, edited by Budd Hall, Rajesh Tandon, and Crystal Tremblay, 5–30. Victoria: University of Victoria] proposed framework for institutionalizing community-university partnerships in post-secondary institutions, and feedback from students and partners. Ultimately, I suggest that community-engaged courses, despite the noted tensions, offer important and un-realized potential to political science curricula.