Tuning In, Tuning Out: The Strange Disappearance of Social Capital in the United States

Running head: SOCIAL CAPITAL IN THE US.
Tuning In, Tuning Out: The Strange Disappearance of Social Capital in the United States
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Tuning In, Tuning Out: The Strange Disappearance of Social Capital in the United States
Social capital are the features of social life such as networks, routines and trust that allow citizens to be more engaged in community and social affairs in a more effective manner so as to meet their shared objectives (Putnam, 1995, p.665). The beneficiaries from social capital can be individuals, part of the community or the wider community. Examples of activities that create social capital include; engaging with friends, bowling in a league, participation in political movements among others. The theory of social capital states that the more we connect with other people the more we trust and vice versa (Putnam, 1995, p.665).
Social capital can be increased by looking for a solution that leads to activities that encourage social capital. Encouraging women into the labor force is one solution. Studies have shown that informal decline in socialization has been more concentrated among unemployed women and employed women spend more time on organizations than the unemployed women (Putnam, 1995, p.670). Another solution is encouraging successful marriages and family units as this is associated with greater social trust and civic engagement. The government should also use social policies that encourage social capital as evidence has shown that some government policies such as slum clearance decreases social capital (Putnam, 1995, p.671). Another solution is to engage in leisure activities that increase social capital such as reading of newspapers and sports rather than watching television which declines social capital.
The major cause of decrease in social capital is television which was int...