In his national bestseller Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam illuminated the decline of social capital in the US. Now, in Democracies in Flux, Putnam brings together a group of leading scholars who broaden his findings as they examine the state of social capital in eight advanced democracies around the world. The book is packed with many intriguing revelations. The contributors note, for instance, that waning participation in unions, churches, and political parties seems to be virtually universal, a troubling discovery as these forms of social capital are especially important for empowering less educated, less affluent portions of the population. Indeed, in general, the researchers found more social grouping among the affluent than among the working classes and they find evidence of a younger generation that is singularly uninterested in politics, distrustful both of politicians and of others, cynical about public affairs, and less inclined to participate in enduring social organizations. Yet social capital appears as strong as ever in Sweden, where 40% of the adult population participate in "study circles"--small groups who meet weekly for educational discussions. Social capital--good will, fellowship, sympathy, and social intercourse--is vitally important both for the health of our communities and for our own physical and psychological well being. Offering a panoramic look at social capital around the world, this book makes an important contribution to our understanding of these phenomena and why they are important in today's world.

罗伯特D·帕特南，当代西方著名政治学家，现任哈佛大学国际事务研究中心主任，肯尼迪政府学院公共政策马尔林讲座教授。他的主要研究领域是政治学、国际政治和公共政策，发表的著作包括《手拉手：西方七国峰会》、《独自打保龄：美国社会资本的衰减》、《使民主动转起来》一举奠定了帕特南教授在西方学术界的权威性地位，他因之被誉为是与托克维尔、帕雷托和韦伯齐名的学术大家。