Provide a historical perspective about the concerns of the waxing and waning of community involvement using the concept of social capital. Include a summary of the empirical and theoretical literature about social capital.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In the midst of globalization, it is not unusual to hear both the general public and social scientists lamenting the weakening of community bonds and talking longingly about searching for community, strengthening community, or building a sense of community. These concerns have been consistently voiced in public opinion polls for some time in the United States. Concerns about the waxing and waning of community are not new, but the nature of those concerns has shifted over time. In the past couple of decades, community psychologists and community sociologists have turned to the concept of social capital to conceptualize this social bond aspect of community. Putnam argues that for the first two thirds of the 20th century, social capital was expanding in the United States, but that tide reversed in the final decades of the century. He calls for reconnection and revitalization of networks, civic engagement, solidarity and equality, and reciprocity and trustworthiness. However, network researchers are critical of Putnam's conceptual analysis. They argue that community has been changing rather than declining and that, while people in the United States may not be participating in group-based community activities to the same extent as in the past, their networks remain large and strong. They see no inherent disadvantage to the more fragmented nature of contemporary social networks, while Putnam suggests that it takes dense integrated networks that exist over time to build cohesion and trust.