Archived Blog: Universities Build Social Capital; Offer Community and Belonging in the Wake of Tragedy

Posted to RooseveltInstitution.org/Blog by Virginia C Bailey on Fri, 20 Apr 2007 06:11 PST

In the wake of senseless tragedy, it seems be inappropriate to write a politically charged blog. I can not fathom commenting on funding or financial aid. I can not champion against the obstacles that face today’s students. Such injustices are humbled by the events of this week. We realize that youth is blessed with a future of battles; that we each have the gift of years in which to rise to our full potential.

There is a comment to be made, however, about the trials and triumphs of Higher Education: We face it all together.

Within hours of the tragic events in Virginia, Michigan’s President Mary Sue Coleman released an email of support and condolences.

Social Networking groups on Facebook and MySpace are showing solidarity for the survivors with record membership. A group entitled “A Tribute To Those Who Passed at the Virginia Tech Shooting” now has 225,835 members from campuses across the country. Countless such groups exist.

On the University of Michigan campus, students stand in the Diag between classes to collect donations for mourning families. A candelight vigil was held on April 17, where students signed a flag to be sent to Virginia Tech with messages of hope.

Not since the events of September 2001 has this country been so stirred to cohesion and collectivity. It is both touching and saddening. In a national culture that is infamous for egocentricity and stratification, we have found joy and peace in coming together. And yet, we must ask, “Why does unity only come out of tragedy?”

In 2000, Robert Putnam published a groundbreaking text entitled Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Using data from two archives – the Roper Reports and the DDB Needham Life Style survey, Putnam shows that Americans “have become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and our democratic structures.” By way of demonstration, Putnam shows that modern Americans have dinner as families only two-thirds as often as the previous generation and spend 35% less time visiting with friends.

Putnam warns that the disintegration of our ‘social capital,’ that which connects us to one another, is detrimental to our health and happiness. We see the breakdown of our communities in the form of: “higher crime rates, lower educational performance, and more teen pregnancy, child suicide, low birth weight babies and infant mortality.”

Putnam’s exploration is not hopeless, however. The author proposes avenues for building community and increasing social capital. Roosevelters will be pleased to know that lifelong participation in an organization is equivalent to doubling your income, in terms of the resulting happiness. (Getting married is the equivalent of quadrupling your income.)

The phenomenon of solidarity since Monday’s tragedy underscores the importance of Higher Education institutions for the civic responsibility and social ties that they foster in an increasingly fragmented society. Any idealistic student will vouch that college is about more than classes and assignments; it is a place to find one’s self and to realize our great ‘coming of age’ stories. Why does college lend itself to these discoveries? Is it because we are out from under our parents’ wing for the first time? Or is it because we are in a community of peers who are on the same journey? And of adults and academics who never ceased to innovate and discover?

Of course, I pose this question with my own answer in mind. Higher Education Institutions are communities through which we develop unity and a sense of belonging. For four years we participate in extracurricular groups, attend parties and celebrations, join in discussion with peers, and gather to support our team. We grow through this shared experience and forever identify ourselves as Wolverines, Buckeyes, or Hokies. These identities, however, are not limiting or divisive (except, perhaps, on the football field). Instead we find common ground as today’s youth, perhaps because we recognize that we are all united in striving to be tomorrow’s leaders. In our studies and our experiences, we learn how we will each contribute to the society around us. At the root of these lessons is a calling to better society and serve one another.

There will come a time to critique the institutions of Higher Education, primarily for not being available to more needy youth. But in this time, the clear course of action is to defend our schools. Cling to their existing integrity. Thrive in the community they offer, always committed to discovery, to growth, and to service.

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