Yesterday, we talked about the video you had to watch for homework.

It features an interview with Professor Robert Putnam discussing his influential book, Bowling Alone, which documented the decline of American community and social connection over the past fifty years. Putnam explains that this fragmentation has led to a society that is less trusting and more isolated, a trend he believes made people susceptible to political manipulation, noting that socially isolated individuals were more likely to vote for Trump. 

To address this crisis, the professor introduces the concepts of bonding social capital (ties to similar people) and bridging social capital (ties across diverse groups), emphasizing that the latter is crucial for a healthy, diverse democracy but is also harder to build. 

He concludes by advocating for rebuilding connections locally, starting with non-political activities to foster bridging ties and counteract the societal polarization and inequality that have been worsening for decades.