Abstract
The objectives of this research are to clarify factors that local people accept service learning activities, and how they accept these activities in underpopulated areas.Yamagata University has offered the service learning course for 9 years. The authors investigated the course as case study, and conducted questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to the local people who accepted students participating in service learning activities.Analyzing the data, the authors identified causal association between the peoples’ desire of maintaining their present living locations and their attitudes of accepting service learning activities. The authors also clarified that the local people reactivated ceremonies and interaction among people which were suspended and decreased for years to gratify their desire of maintaining living locations, by accepting service learning activities.In addition, the authors identified that service learning activities were integrated into local activities, and the people attended to the students with educational intention.
