Drawing on vast new data that reveal Americans’ changing behavior, Putnam shows how we have become increasingly disconnected from one another and how social structures—whether they be PTA, church, or political parties—have disintegrated.
Putnam begins his work by highlighting many of the changes that have
occurred in our society as he notes America’s movement away from social
engagement and our responsibility towards community. Our slow march away
from social engagement is a harbinger of a society, a people in
altruistic decay, withdrawing from the light of activism, charity, civic
duty, and public life.
Chapter 1 begins innocently with the mentioning of a winnowing bridge
club in Glenn Valley, Pa; which had 40 plus regular members in the
1990s, but is now only 7.
The Roanaoke Va, chapter of the NAACP, once vibrant and an active
force of social justice since 1918, with 2,500 members , by the 1990s,
just a few hundred left.
The Charity League of Dallas, which met for over 57 years, shuttered
its doors in 1999, as its members average age grew into the 70-80
range, and no new members could be found.
Putnam introduces his readers to the stanch support American society
once had for community and community groups in the 1960’s, as activism
continued to rise decade after decade, as membership rolls swelled in
almost every sector of social activism and public life. “Participatory
democracy and all power to the people” were the watchwords of a nation
bright with a sense of civic duty (p.17). What Putnam is doing is
setting the stage for the reader, showing us the beauty of our youth and
richness of our social capital early in American culture, before it
gave way and collapsed into our self-imposed social helplessness. He
posits early in his work, but late in this chapter that instead of
calling attention away from ourselves and towards great causes, society
has made itself incomplete, by abandoning the connections of community.
What is social capital? “Social capital has both an individual and a
collective aspect- a private face and a public face. First, individuals
form connections that benefit our own interests…Social networks are
important in all our lives, often for finding jobs, more often for
finding a helping hand, companionship, or a shoulder to cry on” (p.16).
Call it reciprocity.
What are the positive consequences of social capital? Mutual support,
cooperation, trust, institutional effectiveness. What are the negative
manifestations? Sectarianism, ethnocentrism, and corruption (p.18).
In reading the early pages of Putnam's work, I am wondering if the reason our society is fracturing away from community lies with the rise of social media and our trend towards being more self-reliant, thanks in large part to the advent of technology.
Interesting. It does make me wonder about the extent of Putnam's research. That is, how many community groups did he explore, in how many different cities. That said, I don't doubt that there's a shift, as younger people seem to define community differently. Time will tell how that works out for them. Reminds me of this: https://youtu.be/F5XCe7LugHM In any case, looking forward to your future comments to see how this rolls out.
I enjoyed reading your summary and your thoughts on this first chapter. It may due to the fact that I'm reading the summary and not the text itself, I cannot get a feel for whether the author is unhappy with this "fracturing" of society or if he's simply discussing it with a neutral undertone. Tramayne, could you provide any insight as to what tone the author is using in his text?
As I am reading Putnam's work, I come away with the feeling that, early on, he is simply stating facts and observations without giving opinion or emotion. It is a book steep in research, facts, and figures, as the author leaves his emotions at the door, separating his personal views and shielding them from the reader. I think this is an appropriate approach, as he is laying the foundation for how to fix all of these variables later in the book.
In reading the early pages of Putnam's work, I am wondering if the reason our society is fracturing away from community lies with the rise of social media and our trend towards being more self-reliant, thanks in large part to the advent of technology.
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ReplyDeleteInteresting. It does make me wonder about the extent of Putnam's research. That is, how many community groups did he explore, in how many different cities. That said, I don't doubt that there's a shift, as younger people seem to define community differently. Time will tell how that works out for them. Reminds me of this: https://youtu.be/F5XCe7LugHM In any case, looking forward to your future comments to see how this rolls out.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your summary and your thoughts on this first chapter. It may due to the fact that I'm reading the summary and not the text itself, I cannot get a feel for whether the author is unhappy with this "fracturing" of society or if he's simply discussing it with a neutral undertone. Tramayne, could you provide any insight as to what tone the author is using in his text?
ReplyDeleteAlicia,
ReplyDeleteAs I am reading Putnam's work, I come away with the feeling that, early on, he is simply stating facts and observations without giving opinion or emotion. It is a book steep in research, facts, and figures, as the author leaves his emotions at the door, separating his personal views and shielding them from the reader. I think this is an appropriate approach, as he is laying the foundation for how to fix all of these variables later in the book.