Better Together

Restoring the American Community

Robert D. Putnam, Lewis Feldstein, Donald J. Cohen

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN:
  9780743235471
• eBook ISBN:
  9781439106884
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social Theory
• Index: Social Sciences

From the acclaimed author of Bowling Alone comes the story of people who are reweaving the social fabric across America by building local communities and revitalizing our civic spirit.

In his acclaimed book Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam describes the United States as a nation in which we have become increasingly disconnected from one another, where our social structures have disintegrated. He asks an important question: what can we do to end the atrophy of America’s civic vitality, and what can bring us together again?

Now, in Better Together, Putnam and Lewis Feldstein examine how people across the country are inventing new forms of social activism and community renewal. An arts program in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, brings together shipyard workers and their gentrified neighbors; a deteriorating, crime-ridden neighborhood in Boston is transformed by a determined group of civic organizers; an online community in San Francisco allows its members to connect with each other; in Wisconsin schoolchildren learn how to participate in the political process to benefit their town.

As our society grows increasingly diverse, it’s more important than ever to grow social capital, whether by traditional or more innovative means. The people profiled in Better Together are doing just that, and their stories illustrate the extraordinary power of social networks for enabling people to improve their lives and the lives of those around them.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Valley Interfaith: “The Most Dangerous Thing We Do Is Talk To Our Neighbors.”
• Chapter 2 Branch Libraries: The Heartbeat Of The Community
• Chapter 3 The Shipyard Project: Building Bridges With Dance
• Chapter 4 The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative: Grass Roots In The City
• Chapter 5 The Tupelo Model: Building Community First
• Chapter 6 Saddleback Church: From Crowd To Congregation
• Chapter 7 Do Something: Letting Young People Lead
• Chapter 8 The Harvard Union Of Clerical And Technical Workers: “The Whole Social Thing”
• Chapter 9 Experience Corps: Bringing “Old Heads” To The Schools
• Chapter 10 Ups: Diversity And Cohesion
• Chapter 11 Craigslist.Org: Is Virtual Community Real?
• Chapter 12 Portland: A Positive Epidemic Of Civic Engagement
• Conclusion: Making Social Capital Work
• Notes
• Index