ABSTRACT
Research on relationships and social networks supports the conclusion that there are mental health and physical health benefits that accrue from rich social connections and social participation (Piliavin, 2005). Other analyses lead to the conclusion that participation in social networks and communities is advantageous to the health of democracies, which, in tum, provides a basis for free enterprise and commerce (Putnam, 1995, 2000). In addition, the quality of life of individuals, in the most general sense, is tied to participation in social networks (Wright, 1999). This pattern of results provides a rationale for designing interventions to encourage, support, and enhance civic participation and for designing specific interventions for particular groups, including youth, retired persons, professional groups, and neighborhoods. This chapter focuses on service learning, which is a particular type of intervention that is designed to enhance educational outcomes and civic engagement among college students. There are many ways in which social psychology theory and research can contribute to and learn from the development of service learning as a purposive intervention to enhance cognitive and personal development, civic participation, volunteering, political participation, and intergroup relationships.
