How important is connectedness in a community? Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam details the early 21st century theory of the decreased value of social capital. A short analysis video takes sociology students through Putnam's argument, which describes the factors that he believes have influenced the loss of social niceties and familial connections.

Concepts

building community, social skills, social development, communication, american society, sociology

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Have learners share the experiences of their childhoods to compare to Putnam's text
• Use the text as a class reading assignment, and compare Putnam’s argument to novels that feature neighborhood connections, such as The Sandlot and To Kill a Mockingbird

Classroom Considerations

• A full version of the analysis is available at the publisher's website with a paid subscription or free trial

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Provides thought-provoking discussion topics
• Animation is engaging and explanatory

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.9 RH.11-12.2 RH.11-12.9