Book Review: Unheard Voices: Community Organizations and Service Learning
Abstract
AEQspaeqAdult Education Quarterly0741-71361552-3047SAGE PublicationsSage CA: Los Angeles, CA10.1177/074171361140400110.1177_0741713611404001Book ReviewsBook Review: Unheard Voices: Community Organizations and Service LearningOmerikwaAnthonyUniversity of Georgia, USA112011614399400StoeckerR.TyronE. A. with HilgendorfA. (2009). Unheard Voices: Community Organizations and Service Learning. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. pp. $69.50 (hardcover)© 2011 American Association for Adult and Continuing Education2011American Association for Adult and Continuing EducationThe book Unheard Voices: Community Organizations and Service Learning presents an overview of service learning relationships based on interviews with 67 community-organization staff members. It begins with an elaborate preamble that describes the background of the authors, their perspectives about service learning, and the context of the study, which started as a qualitative research seminar. It ventured into territory that has been underexplored for a long time. It discusses the elusive conversation of mutually beneficial relationships in university–community collaborations through stimulating critiques on the deficiencies of service learning practice in the area of training, supervision, relationship building, and communication including issues of diversity. Diversity is seen as a key determinant in achieving an amicable service learning environment.The purpose of the book is to “amplify the unheard voices of community organizing staff in the service learning relationship” (p. vii) and suggest ways of listening to the unheard