| In this study I sought to understand the complexities of the processes of reciprocity within a theater for social change service-learning project. My sample included three university students, one university faculty member, four high school students, one high school principal, and one high school teacher. As a participant- observer, I conducted an ethnographic study from within an interpretive paradigm that focuses on reality as perceived by participants. I collected my data through interviews, observations, and course related documents. In this study, I accomplish four things: (1) I present a user-friendly model of the processes of reciprocity; (2) I make concrete nebulous notions of exchange by defining reciprocated goods between partners; (3) I emphasize a physical component to our understanding of reciprocity; (4) I suggest that tools and elements of TFSC practice can be applied to other non-theater service-learning and civic engagement projects. My model includes three core building blocks to reciprocity: trust, covenant, and power sharing; and consists of a continuous cycle of four steps that partners engage cooperatively around a central common goal. These four steps include: understanding the social milieu of the partners, fostering integrative bonds through group development, identifying niches of exchange, and isolating and addressing imbalances in the interactions. My results illuminate that reciprocity is not achieved through a simple agreement at the beginning of a project partnership, but rather is a complex, iterative and volatile process that needs attention throughout a partnership. |
