Bowling alone : the collapse and revival of American community / Robert D. Putnam.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Putnam, Robert D., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States--Social conditions--1945-.

United States.

Social change--United States--History--20th century.

Social change.

Social conditions.

Genre:

History.

History

Physical Description:

x, 581 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm

monochrome

perfect binding

illustration

Edition:

20th anniversary edition.

Simon & Schuster trade paperback edition.

Other Title:

Collapse and revival of American community

Place of Publication:

New York : Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2020.

Summary:

Updated to include a new chapter about the influence of social media and the Internet--the 20th anniversary edition of Bowling Alone remains a seminal work of social analysis, and its examination of what happened to our sense of community remains more relevant than ever in today's fractured America. Twenty years, ago, Robert D. Putnam made a seemingly simple observation: once we bowled in leagues, usually after work; but no longer. This seemingly small phenomenon symbolized a significant social change that became the basis of the acclaimed bestseller, Bowling Alone, which The Washington Post called "a very important book" and Putnam, "the de Tocqueville of our generation." Bowling Alone surveyed in detail Americans' changing behavior over the decades, showing how we had become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and social structures, whether it's with the PTA, church, clubs, political parties, or bowling leagues. In the revised edition of his classic work, Putnam shows how our shrinking access to the "social capital" that is the reward of communal activity and community sharing still poses a serious threat to our civic and personal health, and how these consequences have a new resonance for our divided country today. He includes critical new material on the pervasive influence of social media and the internet, which has introduced previously unthinkable opportunities for social connection--as well as unprecedented levels of alienation and isolation. At the time of its publication, Putnam's then-groundbreaking work showed how social bonds are the most powerful predictor of life satisfaction, and how the loss of social capital is felt in critical ways, acting as a strong predictor of crime rates and other measures of neighborhood quality of life, and affecting our health in other ways. While the ways in which we connect, or become disconnected, have changed over the decades, his central argument remains as powerful and urgent as ever: mending our frayed social capital is key to preserving the very fabric of our society

"With a new preface and afterword by the author"--Cover.

Contents:

Thinking about social change in America

Political participation

Civic participation

Religious participation

Connections in the workplace

Informal social connections

Altruism, volunteering, and philanthropy

Reciprocity, honesty, and trust

Against the tide? : small groups, social movements, and the Net

Pressures of time and money

Mobility and sprawl

Technology and mass media

From generation to generation

What killed civic engagement? : summing up

Education and children's welfare

Safe and productive neighborhoods

Economic prosperity

Health and happiness

Democracy

The dark side of social capital

Lessons of history : the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era

Toward an agenda for social capitalists.

Notes:

"Revised and updated."

"With a new preface and afterword by the author"--Cover.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Miller Fund bookplate.

Other Format:

Online version: Putnam, Robert D. Bowling alone.

ISBN:

9781982130848

1982130849

OCLC:

1105948387

Publisher Number:

90102182801