3
active involvement has decreased or as Putnam states, “…formal membership in
organizations in general has edged downward by perhaps 10-20 percent.”
5
Even in areas
like the nonprofit sector where an increase in organizations is documented by his
research, Putnam argues that this does not necessarily indicate an increase in mass
membership and instead may represent “a proliferation of letterheads, not a boom of
grassroots participation.”
6
In short, Putnam attempts to show that in every facet of life,
Americans are participating less in associations and organizations that can help create an
environment of cooperation and trust that may be benefit both the individual and the
larger community. Putnam’s metaphor “bowling alone,” captures the essence of his major
concern: even though bowling is popular among individuals there has been a decline in
league membership. For Putnam, “the lone bowler” signifies “the lone individual” in
American culture, disconnected from community activities that enrich democratic life;
and consequently, unable to resolve problems that require collective action and
cooperation.
While the concept of social capital is a provocative one, the relationship between
social capital and the loss of social trust in Putnam’s work is rather amorphous. He seems
to suggest that declining trust and efficacy signals problems with citizenship in American
society and points to problems with institutional structures and leadership. Putnam’s
concern over the decline in social capital is related to his assumption that democracy’s
efficaciousness depends on citizen participation. In order to fully comprehend Putnam’s
concept of social capital, his ideas must be situated within the traditional context of
5
Ibid., 63.
6
Ibid., 49.
Convention