Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

International Service-Learning Trips: A Framework For Developing Cross-Cultural Competence, Mioara Diaconu, Laura Racovita-Szilagyi, Aida Neacsu

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The International Federation of Social Workers (2017) calls for social work professionals to be empowering agents who understand the context and diversity of their client populations. At the same time, research on evidence-based practice suggests that cultural immersion is one of the best ways for students to develop much-needed cultural competence and appreciation for diversity (Anderson, Lawton, Rexeisen, & Hubbard, 2006; Pence & Macgillivray, 2008). This article proposes that students would benefit more from having the opportunity to get hands-on experience in needs assessments, appreciative inquiry, program designs, implementations, and evaluations of grassroots sustainable development programs than simply being involved …