The publication in 2000 of Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community elevated its author, Robert Putnam, to the status of guru of social capital. He defined social capital as the “connections among individuals—social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that rise from them.” The speed with which this concept gained traction among development theorists and community activists testifies to its apparent…
From the archives
Between Words
Anne Carson’s new book-without-a-spine, and the spiritual experience of centrelessness
Boredom as a Political Weapon
Saul Bellow fought banality—and taught us to look hard at the world