Bowling Alone - Will You Bowl Alone?

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Second, the current technology that we have right now also is an element of social change where networking is now more industrialized. The exposure of children even toddlers to social media, the so-called digital age may make life easier but it affects how people interact with each other. Person-to-person interactions are lesser and how would you fully trust someone whom you have not seen? How would you rate his performance when you do not socialize? How would you have healthy discussions and foster good relationship when everything is interactive? Though there could be an interaction but it is very limited and I consider it sometimes inhumane. Even long-distance relationship for instance fails because of this lack of some kind of social cohesion

Lastly, a deficit in social capital could not necessarily mean that it will lead to depression, more suicide and increased crime rate. There could be a lot of factors that affects one’s behavior and how he manages this behavior as part of society. Personal attributes, characteristics, perceptions even social networks affects his view in life. Its not merely belongingness in society or the opposite that could lead you to be a loner and unproductive member of society. Each on of us is unique regardless if we belong in one organization or not.

Social capital is defined as the networks of relationship among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively. The commonalities of most definitions of social capital are that they focus on social relations that have productive benefits. Social capital is a form of economic and cultural capital in which social networks are central, transactions are marked by reciprocity, trust and cooperation, and market agents produce goods and services not mainly for themselves, but for a common good.

While increasing social capital is not an easy task, the individuals of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era did just that, forming new organizations and associations got people involved again. Putnam argues that society can follow this expmple to right the problem of declining social capital in the United States.

TO CONCLUDE

Scholars who generally study social capital generally agree that social capital increases when it is spent: the more one uses, the more one produces (Cox, 1995). In theory, social capital metaphorically functions much as wisely invested financial capital does: by generating further production.

What make up social capital or the elements of a social capital is neither dependent on values and norms alone nor trust and belongingness. The most important ingredient to thrive in our society is self-awareness. Knowing who you are and your sole purpose in life could define who you would be in society.

References:

Robert Putnam Bibliography Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_D._Putnam

Definitions of social capital Retrieved from Google