Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American CommunityOnce 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, 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
Results 1-3 of 90
Page 119
... average of 17 times per year , ten times as often as those who are involved in neither church nor club , who volunteer on average 1.7 times per year . Secular involvement seems to have an even greater effect than religious involvement ...
... average of 17 times per year , ten times as often as those who are involved in neither church nor club , who volunteer on average 1.7 times per year . Secular involvement seems to have an even greater effect than religious involvement ...
Page 212
... average household was shrinking over this period . Between 1973 and 1996 the fraction of Americans describing a ... average trip to work increased by 26 percent , while the average shopping trip increased by 29 percent . While the number ...
... average household was shrinking over this period . Between 1973 and 1996 the fraction of Americans describing a ... average trip to work increased by 26 percent , while the average shopping trip increased by 29 percent . While the number ...
Page 222
... average American's free time in 1995 , an increase of roughly one - third since 1965. Between 1965 and 1995 we gained an average of six hours a week in added leisure time , and we 6 5 Average Daily Household Viewing ( Hours ) 3 2 0 1950 ...
... average American's free time in 1995 , an increase of roughly one - third since 1965. Between 1965 and 1995 we gained an average of six hours a week in added leisure time , and we 6 5 Average Daily Household Viewing ( Hours ) 3 2 0 1950 ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
activities adults African Americans American analysis of DDB Author's analysis average Barry Wellman behavior boomers bowling chapter Chicago church attendance cities citizens civic disengagement civic engagement club meetings cohort community projects compared computer-mediated communication correlated DDB Needham decades decline Democracy demographic economic effects entertainment environmental evidence fewer figure forms fraction friends Gilded Age groups growth half important income individual Internet Journal less levels membership ment mobility National National Election Study nearly Needham Life Style neighborhood neighbors organizational organizations parents participation percent Political Trends surveys poll population predictor Progressive Era religion religious reported Research Robert Roper Social roughly Social and Political social capital social connectedness social networks Social Survey social trust society Statistics Style survey archive television Theda Skocpol tion turnout twentieth century University Press Urban virtually voluntary associations volunteering voting watching women workplace York