Bowling AloneOnce we bowled in leagues, usually after work -- but no longer. This seemingly small phenomenon symbolizes a significant social change that Robert Putnam has identified in this brilliant volume, Bowling Alone, which The Economist hailed as "a prodigious achievement." 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. Until the publication of this groundbreaking work, no one had so deftly diagnosed the harm that these broken bonds have wreaked on our physical and civic health, nor had anyone exalted their fundamental power in creating a society that is happy, healthy, and safe. Like defining works from the past, such as The Lonely Crowd and The Affluent Society, and like the works of C. Wright Mills and Betty Friedan, Putnam's Bowling Alone has identified a central crisis at the heart of our society and suggests what we can do. |
From inside the book
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The nature of trends in informal social connections remains hotly contested.15 A
great debate between Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin, and Matthew E.
Brashears (who reported a decline in close personal ties between 1985 and
200416) ...
The nature of trends in informal social connections remains hotly contested.15 A
great debate between Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin, and Matthew E.
Brashears (who reported a decline in close personal ties between 1985 and
200416) ...
Page
... physical capital refers to physical objects and human capital refers to
properties of individuals, social capital refers to connections among individuals—
social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from
them.
... physical capital refers to physical objects and human capital refers to
properties of individuals, social capital refers to connections among individuals—
social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from
them.
Page
First, individuals form connections that benefit our own interests. One pervasive
strategem of ambitious job seekers is “networking,” for most of us get our jobs
because of whom we know, not what we know—that is, our social capital, not our
...
First, individuals form connections that benefit our own interests. One pervasive
strategem of ambitious job seekers is “networking,” for most of us get our jobs
because of whom we know, not what we know—that is, our social capital, not our
...
Page
connections accrue to the person making the contact.15 As we shall see later in
this book, a well-connected individual in a poorly connected society is not as
productive as a well-connected individual in a well-connected society. And even
a ...
connections accrue to the person making the contact.15 As we shall see later in
this book, a well-connected individual in a poorly connected society is not as
productive as a well-connected individual in a well-connected society. And even
a ...
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User Review - jonerthon - LibraryThingProbably the last of the older titles that has been on my reading list too long. Though it is dated in some ways, I was glad to finally get through this one and understand why so many planners have ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - ddonahue - LibraryThingThe present withdrawal of the individual from social organizations now resembles the situation after WW I as depicted in Chapter IX of Eckstein's Rites of Spring, in which he describes veteran's eschewal of social commitments. Read full review
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Bowling Alone |
| Author | Robert D. Putnam |
| Publisher | Simon and Schuster, 2001 |
| ISBN | 0743219031, 9780743219037 |
| Length | 544 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Social History History / United States / 20th Century Political Science / Public Policy / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |