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HOOSIERS ABOVE NATIONAL AVERAGE IN CIVIC INVOLVEMENT [Community Highlights] [Success Stories] [Press Release] Contact: Angela Miller,
(317) 630-5200 THE CENTER ON PHILANTHROPY
AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY, THE INDIANA GRANTMAKERS ALLIANCE AND HARVARD UNIVERSITY
RELEASE Hoosiers are above the national average in several important measures of civic involvement, according to a groundbreaking new survey released today by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance and Harvard University. In political participation, trust of fellow citizens, and involvement in informal social activities and religious activities, Indiana residents scored higher than Americans nationwide. Hoosiers were at or near the national average in measures of civic participation such as leadership in clubs and social groups, charitable giving and volunteering, and diversity of relationships with other people. Taken together, the factors the survey measured, such as club membership, participation in public affairs, volunteerism, and personal interactions, are barometers of "social capital" - the networks of civic engagement, shared responsibility and trust within a community that form the basis for the community's health, vitality and success. High levels of civic engagement and social connection among members of communities help foster better education, safer streets, stronger economies, more effective government, and healthier and more prosperous lives. Americans' connections with each other and with community institutions have seriously declined over the last half century, as Harvard Professor Robert D. Putnam first brought to light in his heralded 1995 Journal of Democracy article, "Bowling Alone." This shortage of civic involvement has critical implications for social well being. Without adequate supplies of social capital, social institutions falter and lose effectiveness. To measure social capital in Indiana, the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance and the Center on Philanthropy participated in a study that surveyed 1,000 Hoosiers as part of a larger national project. The Indiana study was funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. through a grant to Harvard University. Dr. Wolfgang Bielefeld of the Center on Philanthropy and School of Public and Environmental Affairs analyzed the Indiana results and how they compare to national findings. The largest-ever national random sample survey of Americans' civic engagement, conducted by Putnam, also was released today by Harvard and three dozen community foundations and other funders. It found that levels of civic engagement predict the quality of community life and residents' happiness far better than levels of community education or income. Ten key facets of social capital that emerged from the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, and Indiana's standing on these measures, follow. Trust Inter-racial trust:
This measure looks at the extent to which different racial groups (e.g.,
whites, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians) trust one another and thus is one
measure of the health of inter-racial relations in a community. Informal socializing:
This measure examines the degree to which people invited friends to
their homes, hung out with friends in a public place, socialized with
co-workers outside of work, played cards or board games with others, and
visited with relatives. Faith-based engagement:
Religion is a large part of social capital and community connection in
America. Roughly one-half of all American connectedness is religious or
religiously affiliated. This measure looks at religious attendance and
membership, participation in church activities other than services, participation
in organizations affiliated with religion, giving to religious causes
and volunteering at places of worship. Political participation Protest politics:
The data in the survey indicate that many communities that exhibit low
levels of participation in conventional/electoral ways nonetheless exhibit
high levels of participation in protest forms. These may include taking
part in marches, demonstrations, boycotts, and rallies, and participating
in labor- or ethnically-related groups or in groups that take action for
local reform. Diversity of friendships:
Equally important to levels of social trust is how diverse people's social
networks are across different professions, economic levels, faiths, races,
sexual orientations and levels of community leadership. These "bridging
ties" are especially valuable in producing community solidarity and
in forging consensus on how communities need to change or work together. Civic leadership and Associational Involvement: Many people get involved by joining local groups involving issues and activities they care about, such as veterans groups, sports teams, or book clubs. We measured such engagement in two ways: Civic Leadership:
This is a composite measure both of how frequently respondents engaged
in groups, clubs and local discussions of town or school affairs, and
whether the respondent took a leadership role within these groups. Associational involvement:
Respondents were asked about participation in the following types of groups:
religiously affiliated organizations; sports clubs, leagues, or outdoor
activities; youth organizations; parent associations or school support
groups; veterans groups; neighborhood associations; seniors groups; charity
or social welfare organizations; labor unions; professional, trade, farm
or business associations; service or fraternal organizations; ethnic,
nationality, or civil rights organizations; political groups; literary,
art, or musical groups; hobby, investment, or garden clubs; self-help
programs; groups that meet only over the Internet; and "other"
groups. Giving and volunteering:
One of the ways that Americans express their concern for others is through
giving to charity or volunteering. People and communities who are generous
with their money frequently also are generous with their time. Social Capital in
Indiana - Community Foundations Take the Lead Take, for example, the Dream Team in Howard County. Over 25 business, education, government and civic leaders, including the Howard County Community Foundation executive director Ron Harper, have met monthly for over a year to tackle issues ranging from economic development to education to building a sense of community. Their goal is to build a world-class community within the next generation. Residents of Russellville, a small town just north of Greencastle, transformed a vacant school on the town's deserted main street into a vibrant community center with funding and expertise from the Putnam County Foundation. The center offers exercise equipment, family activities and meeting space for community groups, which is utilized daily. The center has energized Russellville residents who are once again excited about their community. In Grant County, the community foundation is bringing together the local newspaper, businesses and the Chamber of Commerce to sponsor "Framework for Change" workshops and newspaper articles that examine which aspects of their community are working, and which need improvement, to find ways to make Grant County a better place to live. Further Information ###
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