Re: Service for McWorld

Hi Folks:

I'm glad Chris brought this issue to our attention: we'll clearly see more
corporations try to hitch their wagons to Service-Learning as the pedagogy
becomes more mainstream.  I trust I'm not the only one who believes that we
need to be steadfast in our attempt to maintain the purity of a concept
severely compromised when used to benefit a corporation's advertising and
bottom line.  Service-Learning's primary motivation is to help students--as
they interpret and apply their course curricula--realize the potential for
real social change through community problem-solving.  This foundation
quickly erodes when we include corporations solely interested in expanding
their consumer base and, in this case, whose unhealthy products contribute
to the nutritional and environmental problems our community organizations
and college students address in more authentic SL projects.  How long do
you think this McDonald alliance would hold up if the college students came
in to talk about nutritional habits and conducted saturated fat and
preservative analyses of the Big Mac for a 5th grade science class?  What
if these same college students talked about fast-food advertising as a
primary obstacle to reaching kids about the importance of good nutrition?
If the elementary school was receiving funding from McDonald's, what are
the chances that the principal would allow such a project?

The program below is a particularly egregious example of the corporate
infiltration of public education  taking place across the country: the
elementary students are "branded" at a prime age, while at the same time,
college students are used to advertise the corporation's products.  I'm
sure there's a big promotion for the person in Mc's marketing who came up
with this scheme.  Both the elementary school and the college (if indeed
this was a SL project) were grossly irresponsible here, and this type of
business alliance shows the need for much more dialogue in all educational
organizations about the inherent dangers of an educational system bought
and paid for by corporate marketeers.  As funding for public education
diminishes, the pressure will be greater for schools to compromise their
principles and be used as billboards and peddlers for their
consumer-students.

If companies want to become better corporate citizens, they can stop asking
for something in exchange for  their money or support--which amounts to
simply another business transaction (we'll give you money if you put up our
advertisements in your hallways; we'll give you products if you paint our
logo on your wall; we'll help your students read if you feed them Big Macs,
etc).  Like private citizens, corporations can give anonymously and do a
tremendous amount of good.  But there's a reason they don't do that, and
that's because a successful public relations stunt translates into
advertising which translates into increased sales.  All of us involved in
Service-Learning, I think, need to ask ourselves about the potential
compromises and conflicts of interest that will no doubt arise whenever we
contemplate corporate partnerships.

================================================================================

Porter G. Raper
English Dept. Faculty/Service-Learning Coordinator
Cascade Campus, SC 211                          Email: praper@pcc.edu
Portland Community College                              Office: (503) 978-5283
705 N. Killingsworth St.                                Fax: (503) 978-5050
Portland, OR 97217




>Hello all,
>
>I was recently reading the latest edition of Education Leadership
>(Vol. 58, No. 2; Oct. 2000) and came across an article written by Alex
>Molnar and Jennifer Morales titled, "Commercialism @Schools".  In the
>article they report on research into the growing relationships
>corporations are forming with schools.  They list a number of forms these
>relationships may take, one of which are "Incentive Programs."  I'd like
>to quote from this section of the article because I found that the example
>they give of an "elaborate commercial incentive program" includes a role
>that students from a local college played in the program.  It highlights
>for me important issues pertaining to the role of what accounts for
>legitimate "service," and how the lines between corporate public relations
>and "good works" are getting blurrier by the second.  Here's some of the
>text:
>
>"The most elaborate commercial incentive program found by the Center for
>the Analysis of Commercialism in Education (CACE) this year was developed
>at Fleming Elementary School in Detroit, Michigan, which installed a Mini
>McDonald's.  In exchange for reading, taking quizzes on books read, and
>having good attendance, students earn the opportunity to buy meals
>(shipped hot from a local McDonald's) at the Mini McDonald's.  Children
>can apply at the school's "employment office" to serve the meals.  LOCAL
>COLLEGE STUDENTS PAINTED A MURAL OF THE RESTAURANT'S CHARACTERS ON THE
>CAFETERIA WALLS, and the school arranged McDonald's-related prizes in its
>display case (Payne, 1999)." (Ed. Leadership p. 41) (Emphasis mine)
>
>The point I'd like to raise here on this list pertains to the contribution
>that the college students made to this endeavor.  It raises for me two
>crucial questions:
>
>1.) How often do service or service-learning projects that blur corporate
>sponsorship with good works occur?  Do you have examples?
>2.) Should projects of this nature occur?
>
>I have many opinions about this, but I really wanted to hear what others
>have to say.
>
>Regards,
>
>Chris Koliba, Ph.D.
>John Dewey Project
>University of Vermont