Robert D. Putnam Essays

“Bowling Alone” Reaction Paper In the article “Bowling Alone” Robert D. Putnam he believes that civic engagement has decreased in the United States. The article provides evidence of the decreased civic engagement and theories on why. When reading the article, there are a few key items that standout for me. Putnam makes a connection between civic engagement, the quality of life and improved outcomes for crime, poverty and unemployment1. Making this connection provides the reader with an understanding

debate in the social sciences over the last decade. Among many social scientists, Robert D. Putnam is one of the strong advocates of social capital paradigm. In his widely cited 1995 essay “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital”, Putnam defines social capital as “features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitates coordination and cooperation for mutual benefits” (Putnam, 1995). He argues that community life is easier when there is substantial amount

Elie Wiesel was a motivational holocaust survivor, and a human rights activist who won the Noble Peace prize. During World War Two Elie Wiesel and his family was captured by the Nazi soldiers and sent the concentration camps. At some point in the concentration camp he lost both of his parents and sister. They were put in the crematorium. They were only being punished for being what they are. He witnesses many casualties, and sufferings. He felt that everyone abandoned him. The things that he went

American citizens has been undergoing a pattern of steady decline for decades, leading to a loss of what Robert Putnam calls “social capital”. While Putnam offers an extensive discussion on the negative effects of losing both “bridging” and “bonding” social capital, he does not work to draw a connection between social capital and America’s political landscape. Bridging capital networks as defined by Putnam are networks that “are outward looking and encompass people across diverse social cleavages”. The

capital is a concept in which certain features of social structures (norms, networks, and social trust) within a society facilitate certain actions of people that contribute to the achievement of their interests (Coleman, 1988). The sociologist Robert Putnam argues that the “erosions of social capital” in America are contributing to social isolation, a lack of social connectedness (one’s ability to connect to other individuals for beneficial resources) and civic engagement (one’s ability to be involved

In his article “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital”, Robert D. Putnam argues that America’s once vibrant civil society has dissolved. This article was written in 1995. Putnam feels that there is a growing sense of civic disengagement and civic distrust. Putnam makes bold claims and supports them with statistics from studies and polls. An example of this is the data he provides about the decline in organized bowling leagues. He acknowledges its seemingly trivial nature but expands on

Communication expertise is the capacity of an individual to express information plainly. It is a method of expressing your point of view in a proper way that others could comprehend totally. Excellent communication skill is essential in health and social care context to communicate effectively and to create a good relationship with the service users. Effective communication includes active listening and understanding. There are different theories of communication, it includes: Cognitive theory:

In chapter seven of The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins discusses morality is not, in fact, rooted in religion, rather a part of a “changing moral Zeitgeist,” as the chapter title suggests. Throughout the chapter, Dawkins provides evidence from the New and Old Testaments to show the immorality of religion and how it is impossible that morals were a result of religion. Though constructive, Dawkins’ arguments fall weak to some extent. Firstly, he fails to define morality clearly, as it can be subjective

Martha Nussbaum has experiences in writing about education related topics such as liberal education, already publishing a book called „Cultivating Humanity”. However her inspiration to write her book entitled “Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities” came from a person of the Spencer Foundation named Mike McPherson but also because of the fact that she was resident fellow at the foundation. In addition to this, her association with the Cambridge school in Weston, Massachusetts helped

My Favorite Trip to Lagoon... This memory was the first time I have ever been in Lagoon. This was around when I was about in 5th grade.The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the flowers were blooming; ‘Chirp, Chirp, Scream!’. During Summer School, in the middle of the day, my best friend Antonella didn’t come to school because she decided to take a break, and go to Lagoon. I was on the computers playing some games along with some of my other friends. All of a sudden, I was called down

The short stories "Cathedral" and "A Small Good Thing" by Raymond Carver show the struggles of two American families and how the hardships brought new relationships and understanding to the families and those around them. "Cathedral" depicts the struggle to have a deeper connection not based on physical appearance. "A Small, Good Thing" shows the struggle to overcome the pain brought by the death of a loved one. Raymond Carver's texts work together to show that by accepting the help of others the

Grand Mound and Davenport are two places with a strong sense of community identity. Community identity refers to how people define themselves by social interactions, values, religion, and other norms among their neighbors. In today’s age, fitting in appears to be an escalating desire, and keeping up with the Joneses is a modern developed habit in which residents keep the same appearances as their neighbors. This is typically noticeable in higher income neighborhoods, as wealthier people have the

“Strange, it is a huge nothing we fear” is the last line in Seamus Heaney’s poem, “Storm on the Island”. Written by a Northern Irish, and Nobel Prize winner, Heaney, the poem’s setting was influenced by the writer’s countryside lifestyle. The reader can infer from the title of the poem that it revolves around nature. The setting of an island immediately plants a sense of isolation, and anxiety; however, the poem sprouts threads of various themes. In dominance of all, the author frequently refers

Explore the Theme of Loneliness and Isolation in “Of Mice and Men” Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men” is centred around two workers, Lennie and George, and their friendship. George is a small, witty man while Lennie is a larger man with a “shapeless” face and is mentally slow. They begin working at a farm in the town of Soledad, meaning 'lonely ' in Spanish. The novel’s setting is inspired by the place of Steinbeck’s birth, Salinas, California, and the thoughts and feelings of the characters. During

“The Highwayman” It was a cold and windy night when Bess saw the silhouette of a man riding toward her on the back of a horse. She was sitting there leaning on a tree thinking to herself, as he approached her. He got off his horse and slowly walked toward her. The woman stood up took a couple steps closer and swiftly ran away. He just stood there thinking to himself Why did she run away? A couple weeks earlier he was riding through town on his horse when he noticed a girl looking through a window

What if you had to shoot a family member, a pet, or someone that is caring to you? How would you feel about it? In the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck George and Lennie go on an amazing adventure but with a dramatic ending. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck displays compassion in George by how he takes in Lennie and helps him through life. George is happiest when he doesn 't have to yell at Lennie and, when George does yell, he feels terrible. In the beginning of

“Poetry is when emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” (Robert Frost). Robert Frost wrote his poems with emotion and with a connection to his personal life. Frost wrote his poems like no other poet. His works are world renowned and impact literature today. His works are read in schools and people still talk and write about him and his writing today. Frost lived in a hard time period, but he still was able to write and be successful. It took years to become a success

are the opening lines to “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, a famous poem included in his collection Mountain Interval. The poem starts with the narrator walking in the woods and seeing two roads split from each other. He has to decide which road to take since this decision will forever shape him as a person. The speaker must recognize what can be gained and lost by each individual road and the choice to follow it. Throughout this poem, Robert Frost uses extended metaphors to convey that every

Background Groundhog Day is a film about a weatherman Phil, who is not fond of reporting on Groundhog Day. He was sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to report if the groundhog will see his shadow and forecast when the spring will arrive. He is accompanied by his producer Rita and Larry, the cameraman. When Phil arrived, her had a very entitles attitude and belittled others. He was not fond of the small tow or the people living in it. He was very enthusiastic and eager to leave, but unfortunately

go because Lennie with his mental disabilities cannot be blamed for his actions because his action was out of his control. Lennie is overall a good man, and this is also explained in the book by Candy, “ He 's such a nice fella. I didn 't ' think he 'd do nothing like this"(Steinbeck 94). Lennie should not be held accountable for his crimes due to his special circumstances. So