Bowling Alone

I have been thinking a lot about social capital, if you can believe it. I know, not a usual topic for pondering, but perhaps the theme has relevance for me right now. In 2000, Robert Putnam published a path-breaking book about something that was really becoming pretty obvious. People are less socially engaged, or really, less social in general. The basic premise was that we as a country weren't in bowling leagues any more. Or for that matter, we, as a country, were no longer fraternally connected. No longer were people naturally Eagles, Elks, Mooses, (moosi?) or even Odd Fellows or crazy Kiwanians.

I think that Putnam, and the scores of researchers who followed his lead and further researched and confirmed his premises, found that people have focused on work as a place where they found or tried to find substitute social capital. We work more, have complicated schedules that are difficult to balance, and sometimes single parenting make getting away for lodge night or bowling league nigh impossible to make.

Obviously, we are less rich without these social interactions. We don't have "lodge brothers" or often, friends that are not work related. Not only do we as Americans have fewer friends but we have a less diverse pool of friends. League play of any kind has declined, and it has been displaced by solitary gym memberships and workouts. Since church attendance has also historically been declining, we are often losing another "bowling alley/league" that might have provided social capital. Or, remember "coffee klatches?" Mens' (or ladies'?) night out? The majority of people no longer plug into these social networks.

And people need that social capital that these networks (used to) provide. It was the first layer safety net for individuals as they experienced, well, life. People, and especially men, rely on work as place to gain social capital, and Putnam and others are clear and correct in pointing out that work is an inadequate source of this needed capital.

I wonder why I am writing about this topic now?