This paper critically evaluates Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone: America’s declining social capital”, published in 1995 in the Journal of Democracy, both empirically and theoretically. It counterchecks the empirical findings by Putnam based on data from the WorldValuesSurvey of 2006 and thereby also provides an updated view on Putnam's claim of declining social capital in the United States. Subsequentially Putnam's theory is put into contrast with and linked to works by Granovetter (1973), Dalton (2008); Fischer (2001); Fischer & Hout (2006); Stolle, Hooghe & Micheletti (2005); Kadushin (2004).
Table of Contents
1. Empirical evaluation
2. Theoretical evaluation
3. Conclusion
4. Appendix
5. Bibliography
Research Objectives & Key Themes
This paper aims to critically evaluate Robert Putnam’s influential 1995 thesis on the decline of social capital and civic engagement in the United States by comparing his original empirical claims against updated data from the World Values Survey (WVS).
- Critical review of Robert Putnam's "Bowling Alone" hypothesis.
- Empirical verification of social capital indicators (voter turnout, membership, trust) using WVS data.
- Discussion on the theoretical distinction between secondary and tertiary associations.
- Alternative perspectives on shifting forms of political participation (e.g., boycotts, protests).
- Integration of individualistic versus collectivistic approaches to social capital theory.
Excerpt from the Book
Empirical evaluation
The research undertaken and the results obtained for this segment are displayed in the appendix and will be related to throughout this segment. For the indicator “political participation” I will look at both the general voter turnout (see figure 7) and the direct involvement in politics (here in form of membership of political party: figure 6), both addressed as paradigms for political participation by Putnam (1995, p.2). Looking at the bold-faced presidential election years it becomes apparent that while the federal voter turnout in fact decreased from 1960 to the 1990s as argued by Putnam, it recuperated from 1996 on and now resides above the number of 1972. While some would maybe try to explain the high turnout of 1992 and 2008 by referring to the rise of the two democratic “rays of hope” Clinton and Obama, it is clear that this falls short of being a sufficient explanation. Especially in regard of voter turnout there can be a lot of other factors that play into the development, such as the dichotomous political landscape in the US, potentially entailing political apathy, and the first-past-the-post electoral system which hampers participation in or contribution to the political process apart from the big two parties. While the voting process (despite the occasionally cumbersome registration procedure) is a rather hands down contribution - although crucial to democracy -, a more profound political participation beyond that can be associated with the membership of a political party. Unfortunately the WVS did not feature data from before 1995, still we see that in fact there is a slight decline in active membership from 1995 to 2006, presumably in benefit of inactive belonging as the overall membership remains somewhat the same.
Summary of Chapters
Empirical evaluation: This chapter analyzes various indicators of social capital, such as voter turnout and civic membership, using World Values Survey data to test the validity of Putnam's initial 1995 claims.
Theoretical evaluation: This section critiques Putnam's collectivistic focus on secondary associations by incorporating Granovetter's concept of the "strength of weak ties" and discussing alternative individualistic understandings of social capital.
Conclusion: The author summarizes that the trends described by Putnam were not as unambiguous as claimed and that civic engagement has shifted into new, more informal forms rather than simply declining.
Appendix: This section provides the empirical basis for the paper through a series of figures representing survey data on trust, labor union membership, religious affiliation, and political participation.
Bibliography: This section lists the academic literature and data sources used to support the critical evaluation of social capital theory.
Keywords
Social Capital, Civic Engagement, Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone, World Values Survey, Political Participation, Secondary Associations, Weak Ties, Interpersonal Trust, Civil Society, United States, Empirical Evaluation, Social Networks, Labour Unions, Collective Action.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper provides a critical evaluation of Robert Putnam's 1995 work, "Bowling Alone," which argues that social capital and civic engagement in the United States have been in decline since the 1960s.
What are the central thematic areas explored?
The study covers political participation, religious and civic organizational membership, interpersonal trust, and the theoretical distinction between different types of social networks.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine if Putnam's claims remain valid by comparing his findings with updated data from the World Values Survey (WVS) and by introducing alternative theoretical frameworks.
Which methodology does the author use?
The author employs a comparative methodology, re-examining Putnam's original indicators using quantitative data from the World Values Survey (1982–2006) and contrasting Putnam's collectivistic approach with Granovetter's theories.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body focuses on an empirical assessment of voter turnout, union affiliation, sports club membership, and religious activity, followed by a theoretical critique of the emphasis on secondary versus tertiary associations.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
The research is defined by terms like Social Capital, Civic Engagement, Political Participation, and the critical assessment of the "Bowling Alone" hypothesis.
How does the author view the decline in religious affiliation?
The author suggests the decline is not necessarily a sign of fading social capital, but rather a result of an enlightened, secular society where engagement has shifted toward other secular organizational forms.
Does the data support Putnam’s decline hypothesis?
The data suggests that the trends were not as unambiguous as Putnam described; in many cases, civic engagement has not vanished but has instead shifted toward more informal or individualistic forms of participation.
What is the significance of the "strength of weak ties"?
The author uses this theory to challenge Putnam’s exclusive focus on dense secondary associations, arguing that weaker, bridging ties are equally important for community integration and social capital.
- Quote paper
- Jan-David Franke (Author), 2012, A critical evaluation of Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone: America’s declining Social Capital”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/210436
