Robert Putnam can hang up his lonely bowling ball and relax.
In his 1995 classic, Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital, Putnam laments the decline in bowling club memberships as a sign that, while people may be bowling more as individuals, they’re joining less. As a result, they’re isolated from the social interaction and civic discussions that happen when you’re in a bowling league, live poorer lives and disengage from political involvement.
He may be right about the political involvement part, but from what I’m seeing around me when I don’t have my head bowed in BlackBerry prayer, people are getting together and getting out now as never before. Unlike Putnam’s work, my evidence is purely anecdotal.
Is anyone except me not in a book club? The Vancouver Public Library now has 325 mesh bags of books – 10 copies of the latest favourites – for handing out to book clubs, which now involve, yes, men.
Rick Peterson’s new monthly meeting group, the Burgundy Luncheon Club at the Terminal City Club, is sold out every month to people who want to hear three topical speakers in rapid succession. Not to be outdone by Peterson’s Tory-infused gathering, federal Liberals Andrew Wilkinson, Cindy Grauer, David Eaves, Doug Leung, Lindsey Richardson, Mark Podlasly and Taylor Owen have started their own café night with a similar format: three scintillating speakers, stimulating conversation and no need to pay any dues. Next event: November 16 at the Kafka Coffee House on Main Street.
Josef Wosk must be chuckling.
He’s the recently retired originator of Simon Fraser University’s Philosopher’s Cafés (“think you very much”), still going strong with 19 scheduled this month alone, drawing people to coffee shops, libraries and restaurants to talk about topics like “Where do rights come from?” and “Slam Philosophy.” Our proliferating coffee shops are living labs of contrast: half the people hunched over their laptops, ears plugged, lips tight, the others blabbing noisily with their weekly coffee group pals.
Putnam points to the atomization of society from our cocooning electronic devices, but these same tools have given us the flash mob: strangers descending on a public place to re-enact a Michael Jackson video or dress like zombies – in person! Or cycling groups that assemble via email for weekly rides followed by coffee – and, Putnam take note – civic discussions. Now curling groups are on the rise. Email has also enabled another of my favourite virtual clubs: the Moveable Music School – small groups of musicians meeting in private homes for six-week class sessions culminating in a party and a concert.
Then there are the bigger public salons, such as the new series organized by former mayor Sam Sullivan – hundreds of people paying to come to the Vancouver Playhouse to hear a random assortment of local luminaries give quick presentations.
Even bigger and longer-running are Pecha Kucha Nights, organized by Cause+Effect principals Jane and Steven Cox. Based on a format from Tokyo, these allow presenters 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds – six minutes and 40 seconds of multimedia fame. Speakers range from writers, designers and filmmakers to social activists and entrepreneurs.
Started a few years ago with 200 people at the Museum of Vancouver, they moved up to 500 people at the Park Theatre, then 800 at Canada Place, then 1,100 at the Vogue, then 2,000-plus at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre – all sellouts. Their next event is November 25 at the Vogue.
“We are in a new world, a world that is starving for authenticity and meaning,” said the Coxes on their website. “Starving for experiences that are unique and worthwhile, products that are relevant and brands that stand for something we can believe in. In a word, we are starving for culture.”
Looking inward, between checking our email, Facebook and Twitter accounts, we’ve felt gap. We may not be officially “joining” anything, but we are stepping out in person to create a rich new world of face-to-face interaction. Sign me up.