Robert Putnam, "Tuning in, Tuning out: The Strange Disappearance of Social Capital in

America."
Definition of social capital is features of social lifenetor!s, norms, an" trustthat enable
participants to act together more effecti#el$ to pursue share" ob%ecti#es.& Social capital relates
to human relationships. Theor$ of social capital presumes that the more e connect ith other
people, the more e trust them. 'hich a$ "oes causation flo (%oining an" trusting): see
*rehm an" Rahn (+,,-).
American interest in politics ma$ ha#e remaine" stable or gron in the last three "eca"es, but
collecti#e participation has fallen (Rosenstone an" .ansen +,,/).
Solution to "ecline in social capital must meet certain stan"ar"s: 0s the propose" e1planator$
factor correlate" ith trust an" ci#ic engagement2 0s the correlation spurious2 0s the propose"
e1planator$ factor changing in the rele#ant a$2 0s the propose" e1planator$ factor #ulnerable to
the claim that it might be the result an" not the cause of ci#ic "isengagement3
4People ho spen" longer hours or!ing are more li!el$ to spen" more time #olunteering an"
%oining ci#ic groups an" less time atching T5 (Robinson +,,6)2 thus, long or! hours "o not
pre#ent ci#ic engagement.
Tele#ision as culprit:
+. The timing fits: the last generation to be ci#icall$ incline" as the last to gro up ithout
tele#ision. 0n +,-6, +67 of American homes ha" T5s, b$ +,-,, ,67 ha" T5s.
8. T5 is associate" ith lo social capital %ust as nespaper rea"ing is associate" ith
high social capital.
/. Time "isplacement: atching T5 inhibits participation outsi"e of the home. T5
atching comes at the e1pense of nearl$ e#er$ social acti#it$ outsi"e the home.
9. mean orl" effect&: hea#$ atchers of T5 are unusuall$ s!eptical about the
bene#olence of other people2 hea#$ T5 atching ma$ increase pessimism (:erbner) an"
T5 ma$ increase passi#it$ (Postman +,;-).
*oling Alone&
Social capital: political participation, ci#ic participation, religious participation, informal social
connections, or!place connections, #olunteering<philanthrop$, an" reciprocit$<trust. =o
general measure of social capital.
Putnam "efines social capital as features of social lifenetor!s, norms, an" trustthat enable
participants to act together more effecti#el$ to pursue share" ob%ecti#es.& The theor$ of social
capital relates to human relationships an" it presumes that the more e connect ith other
people, the more e trust them.
The term of social capital& has been use" b$ social theorists an" since the +,-6s in stu"$ing the
#italit$ of American communities. Recentl$, interest has been shon in the concept of social
capital b$ political scientists an" political ps$chologists in un"erstan"ing an" "etermining the
strength of "emocratic societies. >sing the bon" of social capital, a group of self?intereste"
in"i#i"uals can be translate" into a or!ing communit$.
@ohn S. Coleman (+,;;). Social capital in the creation of human capital.& American Journal of
Sociology, #ol. ,9, S,-?S+86.
?social capital is containe" ithin the structure of relations beteen in"i#i"uals, not in the
in"i#i"uals.
?three forms of social capital: obligations an" e1pectations, information flo, an" norms
an" sanctions.
Putnam, Robert (+,,-). Bowling Alone.
?"eclining perceptions of moralit$ an" trust +,-8?+,,; (pg. +/,)
Pa1ton, Pamela (+,,,). 0s Social Capital Declining in the >nite" States3 A Aultiple 0n"icator
Assessment.& American Journal of Sociology, #ol. +6-, ;;?+8B.
?8 components of social capital:
+. trust: a sub%ecti#e tie beteen in"i#i"uals
?perceptions of trustorthiness rather than actual placement of trust2 at aggregate
le#els, people ma$ not ha#e the full choice in plaement of trust2 e1. pa$ing ta1es
or a!ing up in the morning.
?trust in in"i#i"uals: people are helpful&2 people can be truste"&2 people are
fair.&
?trust in institutions: religion, e"ucation, legislature<e1ecuti#e.
8. association: an ob%ecti#e tie beteen in"i#i"uals (a connection in a social
space)
?in"icators that increase an in"i#i"ualCs unobser#e" le#el of association: e#enings
ith neighbor, e#enings ith a frien", group memberships. Dcauses of a general
le#el of associationE
?in"icators that are influence" b$ an increase in an in"i#i"ualCs general le#el of
association: satisfaction ith place of resi"ence, satisfaction ith frien"ships.
:reen, Aelanie C. an" Timoth$ C. *roc! (+,,;). Trust, Aoo", an" Futcomes of Grien"ship
Determine Preferences for Real #ersus HrsatI Social Capital.& Political Psychology, #ol.
+,, -8B?99.
?important to un"erstan" hat "ri#es #ariance in le#els of social interaction. Article
emphasiIes the interpla$ beteen moo" an" trust.
?e1periment
?lo?trust in"i#i"uals choose more real social acti#ities hen in a positi#e moo" or hen
benefits of frien"ship ere salient, hereas the$ ten" to choose alternate, me"ia?base",
acti#ities hen in a ba" moo" or hen the costs of frien"ship ere salient. .igh?trust
in"i#i"uals are more li!el$ to choose real social acti#ities regar"less of moo" or their
perception of the salience of frien"ships.
?social capital is roote" in in"i#i"ual choices (conceptualiIe" on an in"i#i"ual le#el, not
communit$ le#el).
Rahn, 'en"$ an" @ohn H. Transue (+,,;). Social Trust an" 5alue Change: The Decline of
Social in American Jouth, +,BK?+,,-.& Political Psychology, #ol. +,, -9-?K-.
?familiar pre"ictors of trust, such as T5 #ieing an" #oluntar$ acti#it$, "i" not account
for the "rop in trust beteen the perio" of +,BK?+,,-2 instea", an increase in materialism
contribute" substantiall$ to "ecline in trust.
>slaner, Hric (+,,;). Social Capital, Tele#ision, an" the Aean 'orl"&: Trust, Fptimism, an"
Ci#ic Participation.& Political Psychology, #ol. +,, 99+?KB.
?Thesis: Tele#ision is not an e1planation for h$ social capital has "ecline"2 instea", loo!
at optimism.
?Fptimism as an in"icator of trust (reflect e1pectations for the long run). Tele#ision "oes
not effect in"icators of optimism, hich are use" as "eterminants of trust: satisfie" ith
frien"s, unfair to bring a chil" into the orl", lot of a#erage person getting orse,
officials "onCt care for a#erage person, confi"ence in science.