Service Learning in Public Economics

As I was glancing through the New York Times online archives, I came across an interesting article. Unfortunately, it was an article that needed to be purchased in order to be read. As you all may know, when you glance through an archive you see certain portions of articles emphasized to capture your interests. In the brief summary, I saw three terms (age, length of residency, neighborhood satisfaction) and began to ponder. Are age and length of residency factors in determining neighborhood satisfaction? My assumption is that residents who are older and more connected with their neighborhood take more pride in and have more concern with the conditions of their neighborhood; this is not to say younger residents do not. However, I assume there is a correlation between age and deep care and concern for neighborhood conditions and satisfaction. A resident that has lived in a neighborhood longer might be apt to show more care for the community. Potential outliers of my assumed correlation could be residents who live in a neighborhood for a short length of time and show deep concern and residents who’ve lived in a neighborhood for a long period of time and show no care. The more and more I glance through articles and academic journals, I believe there are a great number of determinants for neighborhood satisfaction       

I’ve decided to discuss my percieved importance of service learning. An important element of the Public Economics course here at Randolph College built into the curriculum is service learning. I strongly believe our service learning project facilitates an important part of gaining a higher education that is imperative. Higher education should extend beyond learning complex theories and arguments. Courses that incorporate service learning are important because they enrich students learning by linking textbook material to the real world. In doing so, service learning accomplishes many tasks. It fosters an environment that allows students to become more passionate about what they’re learning. Service learning mutually benefits students and community organizations. In the case of our project, our research will benefit community leaders, students and scholars. The results of our research will provide implications that have strong potential to motivate actors who care to promote change. Moreover, service learning builds rapport between institutions of higher education, area non-profits and the government sector. It proves to the community that the institutions serve a good purpose for existing. My assumption is that the City of Lynchburg is fortunate to be a municipality abundant with colleges and universitites. Service learning helps build that relationship that benefits many actors.    

I came across an interesting article written in the New York Times by Diane Cardwell. The article titled “Surveys to Gauge Public’s Perception of Police,” exposes efforts of the New York City Police Department’s to gauge neighborhood satisfaction. According to Cardwell, Police Commisioner Bernard B. Kerik believed citizens should be treated like customers. In a sense, Kerik’s assertion is true. Residents pay taxes to the government and in return they are supplied with certian goods and benefits. One element of neighborhood satisfaction should determine if citizens feel as if they are getting their money’s worth. A service that citizens recieve as a result of paying taxes is the work of their locality’s police department. The police’s relationship with residents is a key element of neighborhood satisfaction. Cardwell notes that many residents of New York felt that they were alienated by the police. Although residents may feel safe, the feeling of alienation can attribute to a negative perception of neighborhood satisfaction. More importantly, if residents are customers, then they shouldn’t be alienated by goods and services they pay for. The N.Y.P.D’s survey in 2001 parallels our efforts here at Randolph College. Our survey should “…give us a much truer picture of customer satisfaction [rather] than random polling surveys.” If we look at it from this perspective, citizens might be more passionate about providing feedback.

Cardwell, Diane. “Survey’s to Gauge Public’s Perception of Police” 13 Feb 2001. 2 Apr 2009 <http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/13/nyregion/surveys-to-gauge-public-s-perception-of-police.html?scp=1&sq=Neighborhood%20Satisfaction&st=cse>.

Scholar Ralph B. Taylor has an article in the academic journal Sociological Forum in which he addresses how certain residents feel connected to their neighborhood while others do not. His work allows me to question the degree to which neighborhood connectivity attributes to neighborhood satisfaction. Are residents that feel their neighborhood is as Taylor phrases it, ”just a place to live” more apt to have a negative perception of their neighborhood? Moreover, are residents who are more connected with their communities more likely to portray their neighborhoods in the light while disregarding the true conditions of their locality? When we conduct our research, I wonder if our results could be skewed because a lack of or abundance of neighborhood connectivity. In addition, I question whether neighborhood connectivity is a determinant of neighborhood satisfaction.

Taylor, Ralph. “Neighborhood Responses to Disorder and Local Attachment.” Sociological Forum Vol. 11, No 1. 1996. 26 Mar 2009. < http://www.jstor.org/stable/684951?seq=1&Search=yes&term=Neighborhood&term=>. 

There are several reasons why I decided to take this class. I enjoy applied learning.  I want to see how what I am learning is applied to the world around me. In my opinion, economics is a discipline in which applied learning is crucial and beneficial. Last semester I took a political science and global studies course titled Global to Local Studies; I took great pride in what my peers and I did for the Lynchburg community. This semester, Economics of Public Sector is comprised of three brilliant students (including myself!) and a wonderful and caring professor. So far, I’ve enjoyed reading Denise’s work and seeing how it can be explored deeply to do a great service for the community. I hope to gain a greater appreciate for the discipline after completing this course. I also hope to develop a stronger desire to connect economic theory to the world and community around me.