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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper examines these concepts and more as it compares and contrasts the views of Putnam and Bellah. Has social capital eroded or has history taken a normal course where individualism still stands? Various concepts are defined and discussed. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: RT13_SA427PaB.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
also that others have professed that civic virtue is vital to the continuance of the nation. Civic virtue is a necessity and is historically entrenched in the United States of
America. Bellah also explains why civic virtue must be a reality and his stance is as follows: "...in a free republic, it is the task of the citizen, to cultivate
civic virtue in order to mitigate the tension and render it manageable" (1996, p.270). For Bellah, the problem in society is always that fight between community and individuality. The tension
of which he speaks is just that. Individualism as expressed by Bellah constitutes what most people do think of this to be. It is the rugged individualism that the
nations forefathers fought for. Bellah (1996) explains that "along with biblical religion and republicanism, utilitarian individualism has been one of the strands of the American tradition since Franklins time" (p.33).
Ironically, American society today prides itself on individualism but has succumbed to a more docile community-like atmosphere with political correctness and an abundance of rules and regulations. Still, it seems
that civic virtue is necessary to keep things in line. Robert Putnam on the other hand has a more optimistic view of what could be, seeing community as important and
contingent on something he calls social capital. University Professor Robert D. Putnam (2000) has caused a great deal of controversy with his article called "Bowling Alone" which has since been
expanded and published in book form. The piece has to do with a loss of civic involvement in contemporary American life. He mentions Alexis de Tocquevilles visit to the United
States in the early nineteenth century and the fact that Tocqueville was most impressed by the Americans creation and enjoyment of civic association. He suggested that such associations are crucial
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