Midterm

Give an example of both bridging and bonding social capital. Which one is inclusive and external, and which, exclusive and internal? Which one is “glue” and which one is “WD-40”?

According to Putnam in Bowling Alone (pg 22) bonding will “reinforce exclusive identities and homogeneous groups,” while bridging will “encompass people across diverse social cleavages.” He gives the example of “church-based women’s reading groups” as an example of bonding social capital because it brings together people of the same gender, faith and interest. An example for bridging social capital that he gives is the civil rights movement, which has united people of different religions, financial and educational backgrounds and even races to work for a common cause. Bonding is exclusive and internal and is “superglue” because it connects already similar people. Conversely, bridging is inclusive and external and is “WD-40” because it unites people from different backgrounds.