Bowling Alone：The Collapse and Revival of American Community

Inagroundbreakingbookbasedonvastnewdata,RobertPutnamshowshowwehavebecomeincreasinglydisconnectedfromfamily,friends,neighboursandourdemocraticstructures-andhowwemayreconnect.BOWLINGALONEwarnsAmericansthattheirstockofsocialcapital,theveryfabricoftheirconnectionswitheachother,hasbeenacceleratingdown.Putnamdescribestheresultingimpoverishmentoftheirlivesandcommunities.DrawingonevidencethatincludesnearlyhalfamillioninterviewsconductedoveraquarterofacenturyinAmerica,Putnamshowshowchangesinwork,familystructure,age,suburbanlife,television,computers,women'srolesandotherfactorsareisolatingAmericansfromeachotherinatrendwhosereflectioncanclearlybeseeninBritishsociety.Wesign30percentfewerpetitionsthanwedidtenyearsago.Membershipinorganisations-fromtheBoyScoutstopoliticalpartiesandtheChurchisfalling.Tieswithfriendsandrelativesarefraying:we're35percentlesslikelytovisitourneighboursorhavedinnerwithourfamiliesthanwewerethirtyyearsago.Wewatchsportaloneinsteadofwithourfriends.Acenturyago,Americancitizens'meansofconnectingwereatalowpointafterdecadesofurbanisation,industrialisationandimmigrationuprootedthemfromfamiliesandfriends.ThatgenerationdemonstratedacapacityforrenewalbycreatingtheorganisationsthatpulledAmericanstogether.Putnamshowshowwecanlearnfromthemandreinventcommonenterprisesthatwillmakeussecure,productive,happyandhopeful.