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What evidence does Putnam offer for a decline in 'community' in America? In his book, 'Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community', Robert Putnam discusses ways in which Americans have disengaged from political involvement and civil organisations. Much of his reasoned writing is corroborated by a collation of graphs and figures to explain the quality of American community. In this essay I shall evaluate the proof offered by Putnam to support his claim that community is in a decline in the U.S. To do this I must first provide a working definition of 'community,' a term with wide implications and varied definitions depending on the context of its usage. Putnam uses it as a synonym for social capital, a qualitative investment to create higher social cohesion through a civic virtue, rather than to describe a specific structure within society. Social capital 'refers to the collective value of all...

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