Recommended Reading
SCI compiles a selection of readings that include themes relevant to our mission. This eclectic list ranges from academic works directly addressing the subject of social capital to novels that include themes such as diversity and community. We encourage suggestions from our readers! Browse the list or go directly to the book or article you are interested in by clicking on the title below. Book links take you to the Amazon website; SCI receives a portion of the sale for any purchases you make at Amazon when you start shopping from at our website. A simple way to help SCI!
|
|
|
|
Robert Putnam’s compelling argument about the power of social capital, and his troubling statistics about its decline in America, was an important motivating factor in starting SCI. If you want to learn more about social capital, this is the place to start! |
|
Broken Engagement (National Conference on Citizenship) A recent report from the National Conference on Citizenship describes the state of civic engagement in America today. Its conclusions are not entirely encouraging, as reflected in the report's title: "Broken Engagement". According to the report, published in association with CIRCLE and the Saguaro Seminar, levels of volunteering and civic engagement have been declining for the past thirty years. And in spite of a modest bump in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 2001, the authors write that 9/11 "does not appear to have triggered a broader civic transformation." The report also cites a growing civic participation gap between Americans with and without college degrees. Click here to download the report. |
|
Wendel Berry’s novel is a beautifully wrought work speaking to themes of community and how things have changed over time. The narrator (Jayber) reflects on his life and interactions with various members of a small Kentucky town. The richness in his life clearly comes from embedded, long-term relationships. As things evolve we see how economic change (a new highway, mechanized farming, etc.) has ripple effects on the relationships in a community, as local businesses become untenable. A neat excerpt:
|
|
Citizens at the Center: A New Approach to Civic Engagement by Dr. Cynthia Gibson and commissioned by the Case Foundation |
| This report from the Case Foundation tries to reconcile the surge in volunteerism with continued citizen detachment from mainstream political life. The authors warn against "top down" solutions to civic engagement initiatives, recommending instead specific suggestions to empower Americans to become more involved. |
|
The Civically Engaged Reader: A Diverse Collection of Provocative Readings on Civic Activity (Edited by Adam Davis and Elizabeth Lynn) Published by the Great Books Foundation, this new collection of essays on civic engagement includes selections from an eclectic list authors, from Franz Kafka to Toni Morrison.
|
|
2006 Civic and Political Health of the Nation Survey by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) |
| A new report from CIRCLE challenges the conventional wisdom by reporting high levels of youth civic engagement and volunteering. The report also highlights ways in which large groups of youth remain disconnected from civic life. |
| An intriguing and easy to understand article on how UK youths move through stages of social capital, which uses sailing as a metaphor to illustrate this transition. This paper was the result of a project called 'Young People, Social Capital and the Negotiation of Risk' at De Montfort University, UK. |
| This follow-up to Bowling Alone highlights success stories about communities and programs that have had success in building social capital. Co-author Lew Feldstein was the keynote speaker at SCI’s fundraising event in October 2004. |
| A comprehensive study that delves into the heart of community action and provides a scholarly examination of the civic renewal movement that has emerged in the United States in recent decades. |
| De Tocqueville’s classic 19th century civic life still provides important insight for 21st century social capitalists! |
| Theda Skocpol also has deep concerns about American civic life, and her argument provides some interesting contrasts with Bowling Alone. Skocpol address the way civic institutions have changed over time, weakening civic participation over time. She also offers a number of interesting strategies for addressing the problems identified. |
The Impossible will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear |
| This book is a collection of stories and essays of engagement that range across nations, eras, and political movements. It includes work by Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and many others. |
|
Habits of the Heart |
| A book for anyone who wants to understand how religion contributes to and detracts from America's common good. An instant classic upon publication in 1985, it was reissued in 1996 with a new introduction describing the book's continuing relevance. |
| Mounting scientific evidence suggests that humans are by nature social beings. Matt Ridley provides a lively account of research in many fields that suggest we have evolved a cooperative instinct…and his argument would suggest that social connections and civic participation are in our self-interest! |
|
by Malcom Gladwell |
| This is a lively, must read for anyone interested in how change happens. |
| Small examines the argument that the concentration of poverty in city housing projects produces distrust, alienation, apathy, and social isolation--the disappearance of social capital. But relatively few have examined precisely how such poverty affects social capital or have considered for what reasons living in a poor neighborhood results in such undesirable effects. |
|
Social Capital Begins At Home |
|
Social Capital Inc. is featured in an article written by David Crowley, President of SCI for the 2005 winter edition of the National Civic Review. Click Here to read this PDF, entitled Social Capitalism Starts at Home. |
|
Saguaro Seminar: Articles relating to the Social Capital impact of Hurricane Katrina and 911. |
| The Saguaro Seminar website now offers a host of articles on how the devastating impact of the hurricane has affected community structures, and how building social capital fits into the rebuilding of hurricane affected regions. Click Here to visit the Saguaro website to read more. |
| A recent study from the Pew Internet and the American Life Project opens with the statement “The Internet Helps Build Social Capital”, so naturally it’s on our recommended reading list. CLICK HERE to download the Pew study in .pdf format from their website. |
|
|
Keep up to date with events happening in Dorchester by subscribing to the Dorchester Reporter.
|
|
|
Dennis Lehane has gained a lot of fame
through this book and many others. A Dorchester native, most of his books
take place in and around Boston. This book was later made into an Academy
Award winning movie. To find more books by Lehane
click here |
|
|
Woburn, Massachusetts (Images of America) (Kathleen M. Doherty) This book is full of pictures of Woburn throughout the years. It's great for anyone looking to learn more about Woburn's history. |
|
|
A Civil Action (Jonathan Harr) Read about the action a few Woburn families took in the 1980's against companies polluting the water in Woburn. The book was later turned into a movie starring John Travolta.
|
Local Interest - Lynn
|
Send your Lynn reading recommendations to msances@socialcapitalinc.org! |
