Fewer Friends Because We're Bowling Alone
Social capital first came to the public’s attention because we have no one to bowl with, and now, according to a recent study, we have fewer friends to confide in.
The decline of bowling leagues was used as a metaphor in Robert Putnam’s 2000 book, Bowling Alone, as one small example of the steep drop in virtually all forms of community participation he documents in this book. Now three sociologists who were originally skeptical of Putnam’s findings have published a study suggesting that Americans today have less close confidantes to rely on during difficult times.
The study, “Social Isolation in America” by Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin, and Matthew Brashears, compared data from the 2004 and 1985 General Social Survey and found that on average Americans dropped from approximately three to two close confidantes. This study has gotten a lot of attention, with articles about it appearing in Time Magazine, the New York Times and the Boston Globe.
One of the study’s themes seems to be that technology and other social change are causing people to have fewer close social relationships. Here at Social Capital Inc. (SCI), we are using technology as well as more “traditional” community activities to bring people together. For example, this past winter we used our email system to connect an elderly resident with someone on his street willing to snow-blow his driveway. More than half of the residents we have surveyed in Woburn and Dorchester don’t have a neighbor they can turn to for help, so SCI’s efforts to connect neighbors fills an important gap.
A recent survey of our 1,600 member SCI Dorchester email list found several important ways we are helping to connect people with one another:
* 55% said SCI has helped them meet new people in the community
* 76% indicate that SCI has contributed to their increased participation in the community
* 62 Dorchester community organization contacts have seen increased participation in their programs as a result of SCI
Granted, these figures don’t speak directly increasing the “close confidantes” discussed in the new study, but they do indicate that there are steps that can be taken to encourage people to increase their connections with their neighbors. The study suggests that people having fewer connections through voluntary associations and neighborhoods helps explain the decline in close friendships, so SCI’s work to connect neighbors and encourage civic participation could very well help provide people with more close friends and valuable support.
Two current SCI activities are furthering this agenda. On September 10, SCI is organizing Neighborhood Day in Woburn, through which neighbors will connect with one another through block parties, service projects and neighborhood discussions. In Dorchester, we’re in the process of upgrading our website to add innovative new features that will allow residents to connect with one another and participate more in community activities.
The Globe article on this new study concludes with Professor Putnam suggesting that we need to find “new things to connect us”. We at SCI very much agree with this sentiment, and are working hard every day to find new ways to connect citizens. In many instances, this might mean casual acquaintances that are struck with neighbors or fellow volunteers; but we hope SCI is also helping some people find a friend in their community that they can turn to in a time of need.
The decline of bowling leagues was used as a metaphor in Robert Putnam’s 2000 book, Bowling Alone, as one small example of the steep drop in virtually all forms of community participation he documents in this book. Now three sociologists who were originally skeptical of Putnam’s findings have published a study suggesting that Americans today have less close confidantes to rely on during difficult times.
The study, “Social Isolation in America” by Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin, and Matthew Brashears, compared data from the 2004 and 1985 General Social Survey and found that on average Americans dropped from approximately three to two close confidantes. This study has gotten a lot of attention, with articles about it appearing in Time Magazine, the New York Times and the Boston Globe.
One of the study’s themes seems to be that technology and other social change are causing people to have fewer close social relationships. Here at Social Capital Inc. (SCI), we are using technology as well as more “traditional” community activities to bring people together. For example, this past winter we used our email system to connect an elderly resident with someone on his street willing to snow-blow his driveway. More than half of the residents we have surveyed in Woburn and Dorchester don’t have a neighbor they can turn to for help, so SCI’s efforts to connect neighbors fills an important gap.
A recent survey of our 1,600 member SCI Dorchester email list found several important ways we are helping to connect people with one another:
* 55% said SCI has helped them meet new people in the community
* 76% indicate that SCI has contributed to their increased participation in the community
* 62 Dorchester community organization contacts have seen increased participation in their programs as a result of SCI
Granted, these figures don’t speak directly increasing the “close confidantes” discussed in the new study, but they do indicate that there are steps that can be taken to encourage people to increase their connections with their neighbors. The study suggests that people having fewer connections through voluntary associations and neighborhoods helps explain the decline in close friendships, so SCI’s work to connect neighbors and encourage civic participation could very well help provide people with more close friends and valuable support.
Two current SCI activities are furthering this agenda. On September 10, SCI is organizing Neighborhood Day in Woburn, through which neighbors will connect with one another through block parties, service projects and neighborhood discussions. In Dorchester, we’re in the process of upgrading our website to add innovative new features that will allow residents to connect with one another and participate more in community activities.
The Globe article on this new study concludes with Professor Putnam suggesting that we need to find “new things to connect us”. We at SCI very much agree with this sentiment, and are working hard every day to find new ways to connect citizens. In many instances, this might mean casual acquaintances that are struck with neighbors or fellow volunteers; but we hope SCI is also helping some people find a friend in their community that they can turn to in a time of need.
