Given the amount of interest this article has generated, I would suggest we
all go back and read it. In doing so, I did not find an overt emphasis on
bowling, nor an indictment of the "me", or indeed any generation. The
article concerns the statistical decline in organizational involvement,
including church, civic, and union membership. It discusses the rise of
national organizational memberships, professional memberships, and
non-profit organizations and whether or not these can substitute for social
involvement. It also asks WHY these institutions are losing membership.
One of the intriguing questions for me was whether or not this kind of
involvement (club or organization membership) was in fact positive, or more
often a means for social elitism and exclusion.
I have found that one of the most important questions for those considering
service is "what community do I identify with?". That is, people tend to
volunteer within a community of interest. In that many service
organizations depend on community awareness and community dialogue about
their issues, I think it is important that we can identify and support
forums for social / civic involvement and discussion. The central question
raised in the article then becomes relevant: are community / civic
organizations really on the decline, or are there in fact other forums
arising to take their place?
Marcy H. Schnitzer
Placement Coordinator
The Service-Learning Center at Virginia Tech
202 Major Williams Hall
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0168
231-4071
mhs@vt.edu