Assignment: Bowling Alone
INTRODUCTION
From Alexis de Tocqueville to Robert Putnam, the issues of how we as Americans work together and what working together means for us as global citizens have been examined in great detail. Looking at America from the perspective of a visitor to the nascent nation nearly 250 years ago, de Tocqueville was amazed by the political institutions and manners, habits, and customs that made our country uniquely American. Independence and an ability to go it alone were applauded and lauded as a large part of what allowed this country to succeed.
In contemporary times, Putnam looks at a much different trend-that of a country whose citizens must work together on community problems, because no single person or small group of people can solve the pressing issues alone. In this unit, you will examine these trends and the impact they have on our participation in a global society.
OBJECTIVES
To successfully complete this learning unit, you will be expected to:
1. Analyze key elements of a specific issue that has global, multicultural, and diversity ramifications.
2. Assess plans to provide collaborative solutions that reflect common public values to a specific issue that has global, multicultural, and diversity ramifications.
3. Assess the use of social networking as a means or system of public participation.
4. Compare the importance of culture and values in public participation models.
Bowling Alone
STUDIES
Study 1
Readings
• In the Kivisto and Faist text, Citizenship: Discourse, Theory, and Transnational Prospects, read Chapter 4, "Withdrawal," pages 77-101.
Research
Complete the following research in preparation for this unit's discussions:
• Go to the Web site Democracy in America and explore the site's many resources. This is a hypertext project from American Studies at the University of Virginia about Alexis de Tocqueville's book Democracy in America. It is an extremely robust Web site, so allow time to browse.
• Go to Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone Web site and explore it. Again, this is a rich resource, so allow time to engage with the materials.
• After you have explored the two Web sites, use a resource library to locate at least three peerreviewed articles that address civic engagement and social networking (as defined by Putnam). You will need these resources for the Civic Engagement discussion in this unit.
Study 2
PREPARATION FOR PROJECT PHASE 2
Resources
Global Issue - Theoretical Framework (Phase 2).
Global Issue Resources | Transcript.
The next phase of your course project, Global Issue - Theoretical Framework (Phase 2), will be due in Unit 7.
Read the directions for this assignment and plan to meet this deadline. If you have any questions about the requirements after reading the directions, contact your instructor.
Review of Literature
Begin a literature review relevant to the issue you selected in Phase 1. Your list of sources for Phase 2 will include those you previously cited in Phase 1, but should be considerably expanded. It should include added material located through the Global Issue Resources interactive, course readings, and media presentations if relevant. In addition, it must include at least eight peer-reviewed sources located from the Resource library or other sources on-line or in print.
In order to make sure you maximize the results of your research, read the assignment instructions for Global Issue - Theoretical Framework (Phase 2) carefully and plan to meet the requirements. Keep notes and the citations of all sources you consult. It is never too early to begin sketching out ideas for your paper.
Discussion: COLLABORATIVE SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL ISSUES
Discuss how we, as public administrators, can extend our influence and voice not only to government, but also to form informal and necessary collaborations between government, businesses, and social and political communities. Think outside the box and generate bold ideas for change from the inside.
Attachment:- Global-Issue-Resources-Transcript.pdf