Service Learning in Higher Education

Research shows growing numbers and proportions of volunteers in the United States learn and serve communities. Within this evolving community service system, gender intersects with (often voluntary) service work. Research shows how women and girls are socialized within service systems to learn and accept gendered social roles. Gender may also be related to college student attitudes towards service learning. Annual data from first year students entering college over four years at a small public university campus show that both men and women are satisfied with experiences that involve community service. However female students are have more positive attitudes towards performing service and male students are comparatively less enthusiastic.