Summary Of Robert Putnam's 'Turning In, Turning Out'

In “Turning In, Turning Out,” Robert Putnam defines social capital as societal norms and trust that permit humans to unite by following the same objectives. Social trust and civic engagement are connected because the more we connect with others, the more we trust them. Putnam believes America’s social capital has been declining for more than a quarter century, given the fact that memberships of Elks clubs and labor unions have shrunk over the last three decades. Attendance at political rallies and town hall meetings have declined, as well as church, sports, and professional memberships. Since Americans are less involved with their communities compared to a generation ago, Putnam covers the various potential influences on social capital development. …show more content…
Putnam also rules out residential stability and homeownership associated with greater civic engagement because Americans currently are slightly more rooted residentially than a generation ago. Even though the transition of housewives to women workers was the biggest societal change in the last half century, data reports show working women spending more time in organizations, while nonworking women are less affiliated with extra circular activities. Putnam denies that increasing divorce rates and single parent households are mainly responsible for the disappearance of social capital because there still remain declining rates of club memberships for married couples. He also ignores the fact that state intervention is responsible for lower levels of engagement in civil society because government policies are not responsible for declining bowling and literary clubs’ memberships. Putnam disregards racial differences in associational membership because although white flight exists, blacks have been dropping out of religious and extracurricular clubs just as