September 27, 2006

What Would DeTocqueville Say?

When Alexis DeTocqueville came to America and wrote his classic Democracy in America in 1830, he lauded our nation's "associations," our ability to get together in groups to discuss and address a wide variety of issues. It was those associations that DeTocqueville thought truly distinguished our country.

Robert Putnam's important book, Bowling Alone, agrees with DeTocqueville's premise. Putnam coined the term "social capital," defined as the prevalence of these associations. And he argued that there has been a serious decline in social capital as people tend to live their lives much less connected to their fellow man. Hence, "bowling alone." Putnam says the decline has been very damaging to our nation's institutions such as education and healthcare. He makes a very compelling case.

Bowling Alone was written before the Internet explosion, and I wonder how Putnam would view the landscape today. He's still correct that according to his measurements of social capital there has been a decline. But what about all of the associations catalyzed by the Internet?

I'm thinking specifically of the affinity groups identified on MeetUp.com. Tonight I checked them out. There are 132 groups just here in the Charleston area. They range from expat Germans to vampire enthusiasts, from ghost trackers to Yorkshire terrier owners, from people interested in bunko to those interested in belly dancing.

I wonder what the consequence of all these associations are. And how are these associations different from the ones identified by DeTocqueville and Putnam?

I think it matters to marketers because we need to understand where consumers feel they belong. What do they feel a part of? How do they perceive their identity? How have their influencers changed? Is it different if you're connected to people in virtual space, rather than "real" space? Is there a different language, and are we marketers attuned to those differences?

Where is DeTocqueville when we need him?