Robert Putnam's central thesis in Bowling Alone is that there has been a decline in civic engagement and social capital over the past few decades. The idea of "bowling alone" stems from the fact that bowling in leagues from 1980 through 1993 decreased by 40 percent, while individual bowlers increased by 10 percent (Putnam 112). Putnam uses this metaphor for all forms of civic disengagement, meaning that people virtually do as little as possible collectively and would rather focus purely …
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…e Internet are steps in the direction of leading American's to their goals. If that is the case, then "bowling alone" may not be such an evil concept for the American people. Bibliography Works Cited Lemann, Nicholas. "Kicking in Groups." The Atlantic Monthly. April, 1996. Putnam, Robert D. Bowling Alone. New York, NY. 2000. Skocpol, Theda. "Unraveling from Above." The American Prospect. March-April, 1996. Valelly, Richard M. "Couch-Potato Democracy." The American Prospect. March-April, 1996. Websites: www.bowlingalone.com (visited 9/30/00).