Infusing service learning in curricula: a theoretical exploration of infusion possibilities

In South Africa one result of the appeal for greater social responsiveness from Higher Education institutions has been for service-learning, a component of Community Engagement, to be infused into curricula in higher education. This paper suggests that infusion of service-learning into curricula is based on broad assumptions which need to be researched further. There are complexities which need to be considered regarding the potential of service-learning to bridge the gap between the university and society, and the extent to which it is the most appropriate pedagogic tool for this purpose. This paper argues that Basil Bernstein’s theory of classification and framing as well as his work on vertical and horizontal discourses is potentially useful for understanding the factors that could impact on infusing service-learning into curricula. Thus, the potential of Bernstein’s work to provide insights into the possibilities and constraints of infusing service-learning into the curricula is explored