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Prominent
American sociologist Robert D. Putnam describes the process by which we
build our personal reputation as social capital.
"Capital"
usually means wealth resulting from
accrued interest on money. Social capital represents the richness or
security which we benefit from which has accrued through trusting
and reciprocating actions with others.
The
theory of social capital asserts that the more times we
successfully interact with others, the more we trust them.
The Decrease of
Social Capital
Unfortunately, according
to Putnam, Americans' stock of social capital has been shrinking for more than a quarter
century.
"Putnam draws on evidence including
nearly 500,000 interviews over the last quarter century to show that we sign
fewer petitions, belong to fewer organizations that meet, know our neighbors
less, meet with friends less frequently, and even socialize with our
families less often."
( From
http://www.bowlingalone.com/)
Putnam concludes that
people simple aren't connecting satisfactorily with each other as often as
they used to, and are poorer because of it. One might say that a whole
dimension of human life is on the decrease.
The Importance
of Sharing in Creating Social Capital
Throughout history a major method of connecting
with others and building trust has been in the sharing of
possessions, skills, and time. Cave men probably shared knife shards.
Mesopotamians shared kilns or odd tools. Our grandfathers shared work in the
fields with neighbors, and our mothers shared a cup of sugar across the
street.
Whenever we successfully borrow and lend possessions, we
create a link which is remembered for years. If this sharing is with a new
person, the initial link is often
followed by pleasant nods on the street, increased interactions and often
forms the basis for long-term friendships.
Inn the long run this process--repeated
with other individuals--creates a net of both physical and social security. Our social capital has been increased, without anyone
spending a dime.
Conversely, each time a loaned item is returned late, abused,
or broken, ill feelings are created, and trust is diminished.
From that point on, we will be slightly
less likely to be friendly to neighbors, and slightly less likely to
discover (and benefit from) new opportunities within our social
interactions. Our social capital has been decreased; and
we begin
to lose the actual fabric of society. (See
why we don't share our
possessions) .
How can we go about re-enlivening trust
and increasing our social capital? One way
is to honorably share minor possessions, such as books, CD's, household
tools, etc., between our friends and neighbors.
The specialty of the Neighborhood Trust Network is to make it easy to successfully and
dependably share minor
possessions with our friends and neighbors.
The essence of the NTN is a set
of simple agreements which are applied in a standard fashion to each
"sharing event." This set of rules has been formulated on the basis of the
centuries-old lending formats of public libraries. See:
The Rules for Borrowing
and Loaning
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