Page "Community" Paragraph 9

Social capital is defined by Robert D. Putnam as " the collective value of all social networks and species ( who people know ) and the inclinations that arise from these works to do things for each other ( norms of reciprocity ).

" Social capital in action can be seen in all sorts of groups, including neighbors keeping an eye on each other's homes.

However, as Putnam notes in Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community ( 2000 ), social capital has been falling in the United States.

Putnam found that over the past 25 years, attendance at club meetings has fallen 58 percent, family dinners are down 33 percent, and having friends visit has fallen 45 percent.