Robert Putnam

But some places, especially in the South, they didn't. They didn't have those kinds of groups and they had terrible, corrupt, inefficient, never answered the phone even, regional governments. Now I'm coming back to what Christiana asked about. Did they just have no groups down there? No, they had very tiny little groups. Families.

They looked after their own immediate family, but weren't involved in groups with people, you know, even on the other side of the street, much less on the other side of town. Now, what I'm trying to say is their we was strong, but very narrow.

They looked after their own immediate family, but weren't involved in groups with people, you know, even on the other side of the street, much less on the other side of town. Now, what I'm trying to say is their we was strong, but very narrow.

And what was characteristic up north was that they had much broader groups in which people from different families and different walks of life would come together to sing. Now, Christiana, I may not have persuaded you in what I've said now, but I've tried to convey the way I hear your objections.

And what was characteristic up north was that they had much broader groups in which people from different families and different walks of life would come together to sing. Now, Christiana, I may not have persuaded you in what I've said now, but I've tried to convey the way I hear your objections.

Let me see if I can explain it this way. If you see people regularly and you're good friends, I don't mean intimate friends, but you have a good friendship, much less a deeper friendship, what tends to evolve is a norm of reciprocity. That is, I'll do this for you now.

Let me see if I can explain it this way. If you see people regularly and you're good friends, I don't mean intimate friends, but you have a good friendship, much less a deeper friendship, what tends to evolve is a norm of reciprocity. That is, I'll do this for you now.

without expecting something back immediately from you, because down the road, we'll see each other at choir practice, and you'll do something for me. I'll do this for you now without expecting something back.

without expecting something back immediately from you, because down the road, we'll see each other at choir practice, and you'll do something for me. I'll do this for you now without expecting something back.

And indeed, if everybody in the community is connected, I'll do something for somebody who I don't actually know, because if other people see that I'm cheating him, they won't play games with me. So in other words, everybody learns that the people in this town are nice to each other. Wouldn't you love to live in a place where people were nice to each other?

And indeed, if everybody in the community is connected, I'll do something for somebody who I don't actually know, because if other people see that I'm cheating him, they won't play games with me. So in other words, everybody learns that the people in this town are nice to each other. Wouldn't you love to live in a place where people were nice to each other?

And moreover, and this is the main point of Bowling Alone, we learned when we carried those ideas back to the United States, that that has changed over time. There have been periods in American history when we did have connections with other people. I grew up in a small town in Ohio. in the late 1950s, and nobody locked their door.

And moreover, and this is the main point of Bowling Alone, we learned when we carried those ideas back to the United States, that that has changed over time. There have been periods in American history when we did have connections with other people. I grew up in a small town in Ohio. in the late 1950s, and nobody locked their door.

And when I tell my children and grandchildren that, they think Grandpa's lying. But no, in that period, and it wasn't about race. There were black kids. I played football. There's a picture on the cover of Bowling Alone of me and my bowling league. When I was in junior high school, and there are three white guys, I'm the tall, skinny one in the middle, and there are two black guys.

And when I tell my children and grandchildren that, they think Grandpa's lying. But no, in that period, and it wasn't about race. There were black kids. I played football. There's a picture on the cover of Bowling Alone of me and my bowling league. When I was in junior high school, and there are three white guys, I'm the tall, skinny one in the middle, and there are two black guys.

And so this was not about race. I mean, it wasn't bounded. This trust and reciprocity was not bounded then there by race. I'm not saying race was not a problem. Of course it was. But I mean, in terms of this, in a small town in the 1950s, people left their door unlocked. And that's because of what I and my jargon call social capital.

And so this was not about race. I mean, it wasn't bounded. This trust and reciprocity was not bounded then there by race. I'm not saying race was not a problem. Of course it was. But I mean, in terms of this, in a small town in the 1950s, people left their door unlocked. And that's because of what I and my jargon call social capital.

So all I'm saying is not that every single person in America has lost trust or has become untrustworthy, but on average, and we've now shown this to be true all over America, people are less connected and therefore less trustworthy than they used to be. There are differences across America. And the places that are still relatively high in social connection are somewhat more trustworthy.

So all I'm saying is not that every single person in America has lost trust or has become untrustworthy, but on average, and we've now shown this to be true all over America, people are less connected and therefore less trustworthy than they used to be. There are differences across America. And the places that are still relatively high in social connection are somewhat more trustworthy.

I'm sorry, I'm going to tell you more social science than you want to know. People do an interesting study. They drop letters on the street with money in them. Sealed, but with money in them and addressed. And then they ask, in any given town or a neighborhood, how many of those letters are actually put in the mailbox so the owner can get their money back?