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Public Scholarship and Economics: Engaging Students in the Democratic Process

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Forum for Social Economics

Abstract

Public scholarship is an emerging pedagogical practice that integrates teaching, research, and service in ways that expand student learning by tackling critical, topical problems and generating real solutions. This paper describes the use of a course on women and the economy in two widely disparate institutions to demonstrate the process of integrating public scholarship in economics.

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Notes

  1. According to a recent survey by Campus Compact (http://www.compact.org/news/story/528) and the National Survey of Student Engagement (http://nsse.iub.edu/index.cfm)

  2. The first service-learning article to appear in economics was in 1998 (McGoldrick). In 2002 an entire edited book volume dedicated to the theory and practice, including nine course examples was published (McGoldrick and Ziegert)

  3. The Association for Social Economics Website, http://www.socialeconomics.org/, accessed November 1, 2007

  4. The Economics of Women, Men and Work, Fifth Edition, by Francine D. Blau, Marianne A. Ferber and Anne E. Winkler

  5. Students were asked to respond “Strongly Disagree,” “Somewhat Disagree,” “Somewhat Agree,” or “Strongly Agree” to the following seven statements: 1. I increased my understanding of how to use my own knowledge and skills to improve the community, 2. I increased my understanding of how to use course readings and information to gain insight into community issues, 3. I increased my understanding of how my college education can benefit both me and the community, 4. I am now more likely to complete my college degree, 5. I am now more likely to involve myself in community service in the future, 6. I now see myself as having the capacity to become a community leader, 7. I now see myself as having the capacity to create positive community change

  6. The Economics of Women, Men and Work, Fifth Edition, by Francine D. Blau, Marianne A. Ferber and Anne E. Winkler

  7. The description of this characteristic of the ownership of education as with the others that follow are based on the meaning of intentional learning as described by Francis et al. (1995) and quoted in Wharton-Michael et al. (2006, p. 69)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, 23173, USA

    KimMarie McGoldrick

  2. Department of Economics, California State University, Fresno, CA, 93740-8001, USA

    Janice Peterson

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  1. KimMarie McGoldrick
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  2. Janice Peterson
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Correspondence to KimMarie McGoldrick.

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McGoldrick, K., Peterson, J. Public Scholarship and Economics: Engaging Students in the Democratic Process. For Soc Econ 38, 229–245 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12143-009-9036-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12143-009-9036-y

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