Peace Corps Returns
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Authors
Harburg, Michelle D.
Issue Date
2004
Type
Presentation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The Peace Corps brings to mind many different
impressions and ideas. I chose to examine
specifically how the Peace Corps affects social
capital in the United States. Social capital is a
term that is defined by Robert Putnam as
“connections among individuals-social networks
and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness
that arise from them.” Robert Putnam wrote a
book called Bowling Alone that theorized that
social capital is diminishing in the United States as
individuals are becoming more isolated within
their homes. I hypothesized that given the nature
of the Peace Corps, it could actually increase
social capital through the returned volunteers and
therefore bring all the benefits that are associated
with this concept.