Social Networks and Globalization

¶ … Bowling Alone Putnam; School Ties, Space, and Resilience by Carpenter; and Globalization of Disaster: Trends, Problems and Dilemmas by Alexander. I chose these articles because each in its own way deals with the problem of community and change. Bowling Alone focuses on the impact of women in the workplace, family mobility and changing demographics on declining civic society. School Ties examines the effect that social networks and built environments have on one another.

Globalization of Disaster looks at an entire global community that has been changed by rapid technological advancements in communications, travel, and commerce. The idea of resilience offered by School Ties is helpful in addressing the problematic issues identified both by "Bowling Alone" and Globalization of Disaster and in this reflection paper I will show how the concept can be applied.

Bowling Alone was a very interesting read because it identifies the disintegration of the stable, social family unit, rooted in a particular place/community with a particular history as the main reason that civic engagement has eroded in the U.S. It points to women entering the workforce as one of the reasons for this disintegration -- the family unit is divided by having two parents out of the home; there is no stability for children -- if children exist at all (Putnam, 1995).

The concept of home is displaced by the concept of equality and the pursuit of economic advancement. Another factor in the disintegration is the collapse of rootedness: families are more likely to pick up and move nowadays than ever before. They are not bound to a particular place; they do not put down roots. Therefore, their lack of civic engagement is a natural consequence (Putnam, 1995). These two factors are telling of the American consciousness -- a loss of familial well-being and a loss of social/community attachment.

Individuals have their eyes set on bigger things. The bigger things are the global economy and the advent of globalized disasters, as recounted by Alexander (2006). Alexander describes how globalized disaster is now a going concern for people all over the world. Indeed, the world has become very small due to communications advancements that allow persons on opposite faces of the globe to share information instantaneously.

Information flows have ignited a veritable avalanche of data: what happens in France, Syria, China, Russia is now instantly Tweeted or spread over newswires because of technology. A terrorist strike in the UK is felt all over the world. A plane that goes missing over the Indian Ocean is front page news for a few moments no matter where one is. This is the essence of globalization: there is no more small community: everyone is part of one global community.

This has political, social and economical ramifications: leaders of nations must respond not only to what goes on within their own borders but also to what goes on elsewhere in the world. We are all neighbors now practically living on top of one another. We can travel anywhere, do anything, and share all at speeds never before seen in human history. Thus, how we view and think of ourselves has changed on a global scale. We are more vulnerable as a result -- and need to make adjustments.

The solution to these two problems -- the problem of social fragmentation and the problem of globalization -- can be synthesized into a unified concept, which is the concept of community -- the root word of which is unity. The need for unity of ideas, of mission, and of direction is evident no matter where one looks. Carpenter (2013) makes this case in her assessment in School Ties.

She observes that two factors that can enable communities and societies to be resilient in the face of disasters and changes are social networks and built environments. Built environments, in fact, help to support social networking (Carpenter, 2013). She defines social networks as groups within a community that organize around a central theme, idea or principle. She defines the built environment as anything constructed by human beings -- from cities to huts to art centers and libraries.

The importance of built environments to social networking and resilience in the face of disaster is that the built environment helps to foster socialization and sense of place/community: it offers a place where ideas can be exchanged and where people can come together to commune. I enjoyed reading all three of these pieces because they broadened my perspective on the world around me. I feel that I better understand how communities stand up, how they are impacted by disasters, and how globalization.