Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book outlines the challenges and opportunities inherent in teaching course content through community engagement. It outlines and defines the explicit and implicit value conflicts that emerge in any teaching endeavor that can become even more challenging when the venue for learning involves the community outside the classroom. The book illustrates real-life democratic dilemmas of freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of choice for students and faculty alike. It offers the reader pedagogical strategies for managing democratic conflicts through intentional service-learning course structure and design. The book argues that a fundamental reason for requiring service-learning is to give students insight into the complexities of society and social change. It examines how to create democratic communities of learners within the classroom and through collaborations with community organizations and agencies.