Perceptions of Risk, Lives in Sacrifice: Service, Learning, and Liberation Pedagogy in Appalachia

Abstract

Author(s): Wies, Jennifer | Abstract: In the Appalachian mountains, residents experience disproportionately high rates of poverty, exorbitant rates of incarceration, above-average mortality rates across the lifespan, and epidemically low educational attainment rates. The complexities of this region prompt consideration of the possibilities for an anthropology-inspired, liberation-focused pedagogy to redress structural inequalities. Experiential pedagogical approaches to learning mobilize students and communities toward common goals, though barriers exist to implementing these methods, including resource constraints and concerns about effectiveness. Amidst internal and external pressures on the teaching and learning of anthropology at the postsecondary level, this paper explores a case study in which students in a medical anthropology service-learning course partnered with the community to understand two broad areas: 1) perceptions of risk and control related to environmental hazards, and 2) motivation for participating in civic action. Student field notes and field work reflections provide data illustrating the way the project supported student learning of anthropology content as well as identity transformation. Using this case study, this paper first addresses the possibility of meaningfully engaging in community-based research while meeting course-based student learning outcomes. Second, this paper examines the operationalizing of anthropology methods to develop a process for measuring the impact of service-learning in anthropology courses, specifically related to anthropology content. Lastly, this paper considers the extent to which we can measure transformations of identity that result from immersive anthropology experiences. The results of this case study show that service-learning is a mechanism for both community-based research collaboration and measurable, positive impacts on student learning.