What can you do for me?” The basic foundational principle in business and relationships is more often than not predicated around self-interest. With even a rudimentary understanding of the importance of return on investment, the desire to help others so that the individual may profit later on is a natural expectation. This notion of quid pro quo originally takes root in Putnam’s understanding of social capital, with a few important distinctions, in his theory of the success or failure of a state. So, as things in the United Kingdom continue to become more fragmented and social capital is lost, there will be definite setbacks to the economic growth of the nation as people start to trust one another less. To begin, it is first imperative to
…show more content…
In this 2004 study, Social Capital and Political Affairs, the nation was divided into halves, north and south, with “20 new institutions virtually identical in form, but the social, economic, political, and cultural contexts in which they were implanted differed dramatically…” Putnam sought to reconcile these stark differences. The pertinent results from the study found that places where power was structured “horizontally, not hierarchically” valued certain characteristics like “solidarity, civic participation, and integrity.” In turn, an emphasis of these values led to a rise in economic productivity. Specifically the northern region of Tuscany has a greater number of “civic communities.” Civic communities are examples of “people participating in voluntary associations” (PCP, 2015). Putnam argues that because cities like Florence, in Tuscany, had a higher number of “guilds, religious fraternities, and tower societies” dating back to the Middle Ages, the ability to achieve financial success was made more achievable. Meanwhile, in southern regions like Sicily “the very concept of citizenship is stunted” according to the study. Pointing to the ruling monarchies development of rigid hierarchical systems in southern Italy and the lower economic productivity therein, Putnam further emphasizes the need for horizontal power structures for the growth of social …show more content…
Namely, one aspect of the survey included an assessment of Trust and Cooperative Norms wherein citizens were asked to indicate whether there existed a proportion of people who trusted in the national government. The number of citizens who answered affirmatively to this issue was a meager 31% (results compiled by United Kingdom Office for National Statistics, 2015).Sticking with the trend, the GNP fell from 2014 to 2015 fell 6,484 pounds, reflective of the decline in public trust (Trading Economies, 2016). The sudden cause of the loss of public trust could be related to the massive influx of immigrants into the United Kingdom that year. According to a 2014 article by the BBC, “For the first time in nearly three years, the number of people migrating to the UK from outside the EU increased, to 265,000.” People from outside the historically similar state of the UK have not shared the “social, economic, political, and cultural contexts” found to be necessary in Putnam’s earlier case study in Italy for strong social capital. It then follows that the economy would suffer if the two are connected. The lack of civic involvement serves as a major concern for many economically-minded policy-makers in the
In this 2004 study, Social Capital and Political Affairs, the nation was divided into halves, north and south, with “20 new institutions virtually identical in form, but the social, economic, political, and cultural contexts in which they were implanted differed dramatically…” Putnam sought to reconcile these stark differences. The pertinent results from the study found that places where power was structured “horizontally, not hierarchically” valued certain characteristics like “solidarity, civic participation, and integrity.” In turn, an emphasis of these values led to a rise in economic productivity. Specifically the northern region of Tuscany has a greater number of “civic communities.” Civic communities are examples of “people participating in voluntary associations” (PCP, 2015). Putnam argues that because cities like Florence, in Tuscany, had a higher number of “guilds, religious fraternities, and tower societies” dating back to the Middle Ages, the ability to achieve financial success was made more achievable. Meanwhile, in southern regions like Sicily “the very concept of citizenship is stunted” according to the study. Pointing to the ruling monarchies development of rigid hierarchical systems in southern Italy and the lower economic productivity therein, Putnam further emphasizes the need for horizontal power structures for the growth of social …show more content…
Namely, one aspect of the survey included an assessment of Trust and Cooperative Norms wherein citizens were asked to indicate whether there existed a proportion of people who trusted in the national government. The number of citizens who answered affirmatively to this issue was a meager 31% (results compiled by United Kingdom Office for National Statistics, 2015).Sticking with the trend, the GNP fell from 2014 to 2015 fell 6,484 pounds, reflective of the decline in public trust (Trading Economies, 2016). The sudden cause of the loss of public trust could be related to the massive influx of immigrants into the United Kingdom that year. According to a 2014 article by the BBC, “For the first time in nearly three years, the number of people migrating to the UK from outside the EU increased, to 265,000.” People from outside the historically similar state of the UK have not shared the “social, economic, political, and cultural contexts” found to be necessary in Putnam’s earlier case study in Italy for strong social capital. It then follows that the economy would suffer if the two are connected. The lack of civic involvement serves as a major concern for many economically-minded policy-makers in the