The Unforeseen Consequences of Social Capital | By Kendall Manning

tsulli24

Introduction
Robert Putnam is best known for his book Bowling Alone, in which he links a healthy democracy with strong levels of social capital. Putnam defines social capital as “connections among individuals – social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them.”1 Putnam illustrates the importance of creating bonds within a community to promote healthy democracy. However, these bonds are not always used for good, something he highlights in his discussion of how social capital can contribute to the formation and success of extremist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).2 In recent years, modern extremist groups have become more mainstream.3 Robert Putnam’s theory argues that in the United States, we are currently experiencing a severe decrease in social capital – something that is seen through falling enrollment in clubs and organizations such as bowling leagues and rotary clubs. In this paper I will argue that this decline in social capital is what has created the space for the increased prominence and attractiveness of extremist groups. With nowhere else to turn, people find community wherever they can.

Modern Examples of Political Extremism
Modern examples of political extremism occur on both ends of the political spectrum. On the left, groups termed Anarchist Violent Extremists (AVEs) pose a moderate risk of engaging in acts of violence, actively opposing constructs such as capitalism and the government which they view as harmful to society.4 Books written about AVEs from the left often paint their actions as necessary to respond to “right-wing extremist groups’ increased violent activity.”5 This highlights the polarization between the two ends of the political spectrum, as one side may engage in a violent action to retaliate against the other side’s actions. Regardless of the AVE’s motivation, the cyclical nature of escalatory violence among extremist groups offers an explanation to their increased action, and henceforth increased popularity in recent years.

On the other end of the political spectrum, right-wing groups – such as the Proud Boys – have been similarly involved in violent actions. The January 6th attack on the capitol highlights that they “have emerged as a manifestation and driver for polarization and political violence in the United States since their inception in 2016.”6 Since 2016, the Proud Boys have become further incentivized to act violently to accomplish their political goals. Furthermore, the outside forces that plague the AVEs (such as a feeling of necessity to ‘retaliate’) similarly plague right-wing groups. Former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric inflamed the Proud Boys during a time that was already filled with heightened emotions following his loss in the 2020 presidential election. Some leaders of the Proud Boys, and their lawyers, have even gone so far as to claim that Trump caused the January 6th attack through this inflammation.7 Similar uses of rhetorical flourish and fear-mongering acts as an outside pressure for these political groups, motivating
increasingly extreme and violent actions.

The Fall of Social Capital
Putnam’s diagnosis of our social condition – as illustrated through falling registration in bowling leagues – is meant to encourage a revival in social behavior. At present, Putnam travels across the country showing screenings of his documentary Join or Die to remind people of the importance of connecting with one another.8 However, with the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of social media, people are less connected than ever before. In his 20th anniversary edition of Bowling Alone, Putnam discusses the impact of social media on social capital – using Facebook as his focus. While social media has been used increasingly since the original publication of Bowling Alone, and people often use it to make connections, Putnam finds that it has not replaced the “in-person civic life that Bowling Alone showed was disappearing.”9 While people often tout their online connections, the utility of these ‘connections’ is not equivalent to the in-person social capital that was prominent in earlier decades. However, it is not just
Facebook and social media that weakens our social capital – online shopping sites have also harmed our ability to make connections: “Even before the coronavirus epidemic, e-commerce, including Amazon and Uber Eats, had been weakening ‘third places’ beyond home and work… that is, places where people traditionally encountered friends and acquaintances and thus created and maintained face-to-face social capital.”10 Online websites have removed the need to go into public and engage with civil society. The rise of e-commerce websites and social media seem, on balance, to have both further diminished our
social capital over the last two decades since Putnam first diagnosed the problem with American social capital in the 1990s.

This dramatic decrease in social capital partially explains the rise of political extremist groups. This case is in part illuminated by the political success of former President Donald Trump: “Trump’s support comes disproportionately from those with low social connectedness.”11 Low social connectedness is often associated with feelings of isolation and a decline of trust in others.12 These feelings of hopelessness directly contributed to Trump’s election, as he attempted to instill hope for the future in an isolated population.13 Trump’s message was successful – at least among the more socially alienated. In the 2016 Republican Primary, Trump won most districts with the lowest levels of social connectedness and lost most districts with the highest.14 For people with a low level of social connectivity, politically extreme messages – such as Donald Trump’s populism15 – have taken root.

Political Extremist Groups & The Rise of Social Capital
The idea of politically extreme messages taking root in socially isolated populations is similarly illustrated through the rise of political extremist groups. Both AVEs and right-wing groups illuminate Putnam’s concern about the dangers of social capital. With the continued decrease in social connectivity, alienated populations look for others they can relate to. With the rising appeal of populist and other political messages, as seen through Trump’s political success, it is often the case that they turn to these extremist groups: “Organizations like the Mob or the Klan can sometimes fulfill the need for social solidarity and community involvement as effectively as bowling clubs or the Rotary Club… community involvement is only as good as the community one is involved with.”16 Right-wing groups and AVEs can similarly fill the need for social connectedness among socially isolated individuals. The lack of opportunities for other forms of community involvement reiterates why individuals feel compelled to join political groups.

Additionally, the longevity of groups like the Proud Boys may be appealing: “The tempo of the group’s appearances after January 6 suggests that instead of instigating a standing down, the group may be positioning itself to serve as the violent tip of the post-Insurrection extreme far-right.”17 While the Proud
Boys underwent considerable scrutiny following the January 6th attack on the Capitol, it seems that this has not impacted the longevity of their organization. Individuals who choose to join politically extreme groups for the benefits of social capital can be assured in their resilience against outside pressures. More traditional groups – such as bowling leagues – have not proved similarly resilient against outside pressures, as decreased enrollment due to societal change18 often meant the end of the league itself.

Conclusion
Robert Putnam’s theory of social capital revolutionized the way political scientists think about social connectivity in democracies. He correctly details the decline in the United States’ social capital – as highlighted through dropping civic participation in community organizations. However, the rise of political extremist groups was an unforeseen consequence of decreased engagement. As seen through the patterns of Donald Trump’s political victories in the 2016 Republican Primaries and beyond, alienated individuals are more likely to buy into politically extreme messages such as Trump’s populism. These isolated individuals then seek out social capital in the only way they can – by joining politically extreme groups, whether left-wing or right-wing. These groups instill a sense of social connectivity with previously isolated individuals, which allows for them to flourish. Although it seems at present that the social connectivity of extremist groups is in contrast with the decline of other forms of social capital, their long-term viability remains to be seen. At present, the Proud Boys are reinforcing their organization, despite legal challenges following January 6.19 However, bowling leagues initially did as well, before they tapered off.20 Political extremist groups may similarly decline as a form of social capital, or they could contradict existing trends and remain on the upswing.

Notes

  1. Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone, (New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2000), 19. ↩︎
  2. Putnam, 22. ↩︎
  3. For further reading, see Seth G. Jones “Who Are Antifa, and Are They a Threat?,” Kaitlyn Tiffany “The Right’s New Bogeyman,” and Jared Thomson “Examining Extremism: The Boogaloo Movement.” ↩︎
  4. “Anarchist/Left-Wing Violent Extremism,” (The George Washington University Program on Extremism, 2021), 6. ↩︎
  5. “Anarchist/Left-Wing Violent Extremism,” 9. ↩︎
  6. Matthew Kriner and Jon Lewis, “Pride & Prejudice: The Violent Evolution of the Proud Boys,” (CTC Sentinel, 2021), 26. ↩︎
  7. Kyle Cheney, “Proud Boys leaders: Trump caused Jan. 6th attack,” Politico, 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/25/proud-boys-trial-trump-tarrio-00093678. ↩︎
  8. Clare Lyons, “Join or Die’: Harvard professor touts extracurriculars at Notre Dame Forum,” The Observer, Feb. 22, 2024, https://www.ndsmcobserver.com/article/2024/02/putnam-talks-social-capital-democracy-at-notre-dame-forum-keynote-event. ↩︎
  9. Putnam, 427. ↩︎
  10. Putnam, 435. ↩︎
  11. Michael Barone, “Does lack of social connectedness explain Trump’s appeal?”, The Washington Examiner, Mar. 27, 2016, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2001105/does-lack-of-social-connectedness-explain-trumps-appeal/. ↩︎
  12. Isabel V. Sawhill, “Social Capital: Why We Need It and How We Can Create More of It,” (Brookings Institution, 2020), 1. ↩︎
  13. Sawhill, 6. ↩︎
  14. Sawhill. ↩︎
  15. Sawhill. ↩︎
  16. Joshua Keating, “Bowling Alone is Bad Unless Your Bowling Team Kills People,” Foreign Policy, 2013, https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/07/15/bowling-alone-is-bad-unless-your-bowling-team-kills-people/. ↩︎
  17. Kriner and Lewis, 37. ↩︎
  18. Putnam, 17. ↩︎
  19. Kriner and Lewis, 37. ↩︎
  20. Putnam, 472. Bowling league enrollment rose steadily for almost 50 years – from 1920 to 1965 – before it dropped dramatically. ↩︎