Book,
Loose Connections: Joining Together in America's Fragmented Communities
Harvard University Press, (April 2002)
Abstract
It has become common to lament Americans' tendency to
pursue individual interests apart from any institutional
association. But to those who charge that Americans are at
home watching television rather than getting involved in
their communities, Robert Wuthnow answers that while
certain kinds of civic engagement may be declining,
innovative new forms are taking their place. People are
still connected, but because of the realities of daily
life, they form ``loose connections.'' These more fluid
groups are better suited to dealing with today's needs than
the fraternal orders and ladies' auxiliaries of the past.
Wuthnow examines the challenges that must be faced if these
innovative forms of civic involvement are to flourish.
``America has always been a nation of joiners. Loose
Connections argues that we still have the habit, and it is
a good one, of reaching out and connecting to others in
order to participate in the civic life of our culture.
Wuthnow is an indispensable observer of the American civic
and religious scene.'' --Jean Bethke Elshtain, author of
Democracy on Trial ``This is a very important book,
especially in the context of the current debate over
'social capital' in America. Wuthnow presents an optimistic
picture of the state of American voluntary institutions.
One might sum up his view by saying that Alexis de
Tocqueville has still not been proven wrong.'' --Peter
Berger, Boston University
