ABSTRACT
The call for ethical engagement in international service learning (ISL) becomes further pronounced with each passing year. As the previous authors in this book have discussed, ISL courses, experiences, and programs are multiplying at an unrestrained rate. At face value, this call for ethical engagement is a very positive advancement, and for many, it is far overdue (Crabtree, 2008; Devereux, 2008; Grusky, 2000). Yet, for the discourse of ethical engagement to be meaningful it needs to lead to action, and this step inevitability opens up an unending list of questions. What is ethical engagement? Who decides? Is it the role of the higher education institution to teach ethical engagement? Is it the role of the host community? Does this activity positively impact the host community? Is ethical engagement possible in a neoliberal context?
