Brandon Webster "Bowling Alone" Outside Reading

The author states that social capital in American society has be on the decline, which in turn creates a lack of trust in society and an increase in crime. He offers many causes to this increase in crime, but his main argument in the entrance of women into the workforce. Putnam claims that because women are now working as many hours as their husbands are, their children are either left in daycare (with too many other kids so they aren’t receiving adequate attention), or they are left at home by themselves, and thus the parents are too busy and tired to instill the important morals and values into their children (an increase in crime as they get older). Although I think Putnam’s argument is exaggerated, I do believe that women entering the work force is a major reason for the spark in crime. Until the 60’s, women’s main focus was the domestic sphere and raising their children to be acceptable citizens by teaching them morals, but now that children are left alone or in the care of others at such a young age, they aren’t being taught the same values, and often the window of opportunity to teach these values and morals is missed.