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Jane
Addams Faculty Fellows 2005-2006
As
faculty colleagues we strive to live out the mission and
vision of Rockford College as a liberal arts college with
a special commitment to the community.
The
point where our individual perspectives and interests converge
is engaging undergraduate students in service learning experiences
that challenge the way students think about at-risk people.
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Dr. Matthew Flamm
Assistant
Professor of Philosophy |
Our project has been to
share resources and expertise to explore student responses to service
learning encounters. Our aim is that students will be more responsive
citizens as a result of their education here.
Dr. Flamm brings his expertise as
a philosopher to the project and Professor Helland that of community/public
health nursing. Matt's work with Wealtha is an extension of a broad,
ongoing inquiry into the meanings and challenges of communities,
and the attempts to recover individuality through institutional
transaction and engagement. This way of putting the matter relies
strongly on the language and understanding of the great twentieth
century philosopher of democracy and community: John Dewey a close
intellectual colleague of Jane Addams.
This
is where our individual interests converge in the project.
With Prof. Helland's guidance and expertise, Dr. Flamm has
been examining the practices and rationale of various Rockford
institutions aimed at some form of social amelioration--THAT
Place, a harm reduction program, The Carpenter's Place,
a faith-based homeless shelter, and MELD, a program assisting
single fathers being just three examples.
Matt
has been working with Wealtha to develop a critical analysis
of these and other institutional structures, particularly
focusing on the positive and negative transformations undergone
by individuals who come into contact with them.
The
guiding question of our project is: When or to what extent
is social amelioration a means of reconciling individuals
and communities?
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Wealtha
Helland
Associate
Professor of Nursing |
We
are deeply grateful to the Jane Addams Center for Civic
Engagement and to
President
Paul Pribbenow for this opportunity.
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Jane Addams Faculty
Fellows,
Professor Wealtha
Helland and Dr. Matt Flamm with John McNamara, Executive
Director, JACCE at their award reception and presentation,
"Challenging Perception: Encounters with Vulnerable
Population."
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