Abstract

Community and its fate has become a focal point of attention for those concerned about the social changes wrought by the forces of modernity. Numerous commentators have argued that neglecting to foster and support community interaction and involvement may have deleterious social consequences. This argument has been most forcefully (and controversially) articulated by Robert Putnam who focuses on the disappearance of civic togetherness – in terms of everyday community based practices such as participation in meetings and local organisations, church attendance and voting – in the United States. The impact of this decline in civic togetherness, he concludes, diminishes social capital and undermines community (Putnam, 2000).