Striving for the magis: An ethnographic case study of transformative learning and sustained civic engagement at a Jesuit university

Abstract

This ethnographic case study describes how civically engaged students at a Jesuit institution understand their commitment to social change. Literature on civic engagement and service-learning abound, yet gaps exist in understanding how students interact with campus mission and culture. Using the lenses of transformative learning, emerging adulthood, and civic engagement, this study attempts to understand a subculture of students at a Jesuit university. Ethnographic case study methodology is used in order to understand broader context and culture within which this subculture exists. Participants were identified through purposive sampling, and data was collected through interviews and participant observation. Findings help to further understand how students interact with campus mission and culture relative to civic engagement. Emic and etic themes were distilled into ten overarching umbrella themes. The discussion points to implications for future research at faith-based and secular institutions.