Last night I watched, on video tape, Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone, speak about the meaning of "social capital" to a crowd at the University of Washington recently. Social capital is about building networks of people to faciliate ideas, information, and change.
There is a growing realization in my mind now of how the idea of "social capital" applies to photojournalism and public journalism.
Putnam's argument focuses on a need to reclaim "public life" in civil society. “social capital calls attention to the fact that civic virtue is most powerful when embedded in a sense network of reciprocal social relations." Putnam claims.
Putnam and many others believe that since the mid-20th century social and civic life has been on the decline. In other words, the web of social networks that have kept America "civic minded" for the greater part of our existence as a country has been unraveling.
According to the Web site, Infed, social capital refers to interactions which enable "people to build communities, to commit themselves to each other, and to knit the social fabric. A sense of belonging and the concrete experience of social networks (and the relationships of trust and tolerance that can be involved) can, it is argued, bring great benefits to people."
As I sit behind my computer in the dark grading papers, checking RSS feeds, blogging, and writing, I am distant and remote from actual human contact. As I listen to Bach or Bread on iTunes, I may not feel any real sense of belonging or any concrete experience of social networking going on. But there is something going on in the background -- something big.
I know that once I click save my ideas, images, and the images of others, like Robert Gumpert's wonderful Baggage Claim e-Card below, will be networked. Although I may not hear from the people that take the time to read my ideas or look at my pictures, I know that I am practicing a form of social networking. My social capital as a blogger, educator, photographer, and friend is alive and well on the Internet. I may not need to belong to any one of the "animal" clubs like the Elks, Eagle, Lions, or Moose to feel connected in a world of wireless immediacy. My pockets are laden with communication technologies, from camera phone and PDA, to the new digital compact flash recorder I am using.
For Putnam, "social capital allows citizens to resolve collective problems more easily."
I don't think there is any better communication than face-to-face interpersonal exchanges, but the Internet is extending communicative processes beyond anything we have adjusted to.
It has become clear to me that blogs can establish and build social capital that allow citizens to resolve collective problems. For example, last year I wrote about an investigation into possible recruitment practices at Brooks Institute of Photography. Since this time, dozens of people have commented on the post to share concerns and experiences. Today I am posting a link to the address and contact information for the Braun Law Group that is handling the case.
Clearly, a blog may be considered a civic space for people to gather -- information and ideas are exchanged, which may eventually lead to action and reform.