Bowling Alone Study Guide

Sections I & II

  1. On page 18, Putnam states the purpose of Bowling Alone to be what happened to civic engagement in America since the 60s, and introduces the term social capital and states that “the core idea of social capital theory is that social networks have value.” How does he differentiate and define the other forms of capital—physical and human? How is social capital different?
  2. In what ways can social capital be simultaneously a private and a public good?
  3. On page 20, Putnam states that networks are by their very nature reciprocal. What does he mean?
  4. What is the difference between specific and generalized reciprocity?
  5. Why are reciprocity and trust better than mistrust in a society?
  6. What may be some negative effects of networks on people in a society? i.e. Who benefits and who doesn’t?
  7. Describe the difference between bridging and bonding forms of social capital. What are the positive and negative effects of each?
  8. Notice on the bottom of pages 18, 23 and 25 and the top of page 27 how Putnam discusses his approach, types of evidence he’ll use, and what he will try to prove through the course of the book. He’s letting you, the reader, know how to approach the text.
  9. Why does Putnam say he uses statistics? What criteria did he have for his evidence? (p. 26-7)
  10. In your own words, summarize how Putnam has organized his argument (p. 27-28).
  11. Why does Putnam begin his discussion of social capital with political participation and voting?
  12. How are social change and generational change related?
  13. What is the difference between intracohort and intercohort change? (p. 33).
  14. What has been the trend in political and community participation from 1970 to the present? Cite three forms of participation and the actual rates that Putnam cites to support your answer.
  15. Why are numbers of voluntary associations nationwide not a reliable guide to trends in social capital?
  16. How are many of the new citizens groups different in character from more traditional groups? What element are they lacking that would help them be more “social capital –creating”. (p.51)
  17. What is the relationship between the historic numbers of participants Putnam found for political participation (ch. 1) and civic participation (ch. 2)?
  18. What is the relevance of religious participation to America’s social capital?
  19. Why is it important for Putnam to go beyond membership and look at participation?
  20. Why is it important to know the age of respondents in surveys about social capital; indicators?
  21. What is the difference between mainline Christians’ and evangelical Christians’ forms of social capital?
  22. How does Putnam summarize the text so far? (p. 79) And the trends in the evidence so far (p 80, 84-5)?
  23. Why does the mere size of an organization over time not tell the whole story?
  24. How is the workplace different from other social networks?
  25. What are the factors discouraging the growth of social connections in the workplace?
  26. What is the difference between machers and schmoozers? (p. 93-5)?
  27. Does Putnam say we are a nation of machers or schmoozers? Which do you tend to be? Give some examples that related to the evidence in the text.
  28. What is the difference between more traditional forms of informal social activities and the newer ones that have come to replace those that are on the wane? How do they relate to the building of social capital?
  29. What are some examples of “doing” culture? What are some examples of “consuming” it?
  30. What is the relationship of volunteering to philanthropy?
  31. Why is the growth of volunteering in recent decades not necessarily a good omen for the future? (ch. 7)
  32. “Self-interested altruism” would appear on the surface to be a dichotomy, yet it is at the root of the system of generalized reciprocity. How self-interested altruism possible?
  33. Notice in the middle of page 137 how Putnam presents us with his thesis question for the chapter.
  34. What factor accounts for the decline in social trust? Have individuals become less trusting or not?
  35. Why does Putnam say the structure of contemporary, mail-order social organizations is weaker? (p.150-160)
  36. How does the telephone both give and take away from the building of social capital?
  37. What are some of the positive effects of the advent of the internet on social capital? What are some of the negative effects?
  38. In what ways are internet “communities” more egalitarian than real ones?
  39. On p. 173, Putnam mentions Hobbes and Locke, and he has repeatedly mentioned social philosopher de Tocqueville. Search the internet for summaries of these philosophers’ ideas if you aren’t familiar with their ideas.
  40. What does Putnam mean when he states that social capital may be a prerequisite for rather than a consequence of effective computer mediated communication?
  41. In what ways do you use the computer to build social capital? Have you become a member or formed a new social group through the computer?