Michelle Mohr Carney, Deborah Adams, Amy Mendenhall, Mary L. Ohmer
{"title":"公民参与:绝望的解药?","authors":"Michelle Mohr Carney, Deborah Adams, Amy Mendenhall, Mary L. Ohmer","doi":"10.1080/10705422.2023.2224470","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"In the 19 century, Alexis de Tocqueville (1969) cautioned about the omnipotence of the majority and the potential negative effects of individualism on American democracy. Later Putnam (2001) echoed that warning, suggesting that individualism could lead to community disengagement and the decline of our democracy. Although the warning from Tocqueville was two centuries ago, the dangers of radical individualism and the tendency to put self-interest ahead of the greater good can be witnessed today in the proliferation of gun violence and mass shootings, attitudes toward climate change, and a variety of public policies. Is civic engagement the antidote? It is easy to lose sight of the benefit of the collective in the face of pervasive self-interest, but the power of community to use democracy to create change offers hope. According to Longley (2022), “civic engagement means participating in activities intended to improve the quality of life in one’s community by addressing issues of public concern, such as homelessness, pollution, or food insecurity, and developing the knowledge and skills needed to address those issues. Civic engagement can involve a wide range of political and nonpolitical activities including voting, volunteering, and participating in group activities like community gardens and food banks.” The benefits of engaging civically have been widely researched. Civic engagement has been linked to good citizenry as measured by voting, protecting the environment and advancing public health (Wike et al., 2022) and to healthier societies (Healthy People 2030 n.d.; Salinsky, 2022). Putnam linked the importance of civic engagement and social connectedness to “school performance, public health, crime rates, clinical depression, tax compliance, philanthropy, race relations, community development, census returns, teen suicide, economic productivity, campaign finance, even simple human happiness – all are demonstrably affected by how (and whether) we connect with our family and friends and neighbors and coworkers” (Stossel, 2000). Ballard et al. (2019) found civic engagement in later adolescence/early adulthood to be positively associated with increased income, educational achievement, and mental health outcomes. Sanders (2001) found psychological benefits to political participation. Formal and institutional civic engagement has been declining for years (McCann, 2022), but Fine and Harrington (2004) provide an alternative perspective. Their research showed that in the face of declining institutional civil engagement, small groups can make a big difference. They suggested that “instead of indicating a decline in civil society, a proliferation of small groups JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PRACTICE 2023, VOL. 31, NO. 2, 121–126 https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2023.2224470","PeriodicalId":46385,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Community Practice","volume":"31 1","pages":"121 - 126"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2023-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Civic engagement: an antidote to desperation?\",\"authors\":\"Michelle Mohr Carney, Deborah Adams, Amy Mendenhall, Mary L. Ohmer\",\"doi\":\"10.1080/10705422.2023.2224470\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"In the 19 century, Alexis de Tocqueville (1969) cautioned about the omnipotence of the majority and the potential negative effects of individualism on American democracy. Later Putnam (2001) echoed that warning, suggesting that individualism could lead to community disengagement and the decline of our democracy. Although the warning from Tocqueville was two centuries ago, the dangers of radical individualism and the tendency to put self-interest ahead of the greater good can be witnessed today in the proliferation of gun violence and mass shootings, attitudes toward climate change, and a variety of public policies. Is civic engagement the antidote? It is easy to lose sight of the benefit of the collective in the face of pervasive self-interest, but the power of community to use democracy to create change offers hope. According to Longley (2022), “civic engagement means participating in activities intended to improve the quality of life in one’s community by addressing issues of public concern, such as homelessness, pollution, or food insecurity, and developing the knowledge and skills needed to address those issues. Civic engagement can involve a wide range of political and nonpolitical activities including voting, volunteering, and participating in group activities like community gardens and food banks.” The benefits of engaging civically have been widely researched. Civic engagement has been linked to good citizenry as measured by voting, protecting the environment and advancing public health (Wike et al., 2022) and to healthier societies (Healthy People 2030 n.d.; Salinsky, 2022). Putnam linked the importance of civic engagement and social connectedness to “school performance, public health, crime rates, clinical depression, tax compliance, philanthropy, race relations, community development, census returns, teen suicide, economic productivity, campaign finance, even simple human happiness – all are demonstrably affected by how (and whether) we connect with our family and friends and neighbors and coworkers” (Stossel, 2000). Ballard et al. 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引用次数: 1
摘要
19世纪,亚历克西斯·德·托克维尔(Alexis de Tocqueville,1969)警告大多数人无所不能,个人主义对美国民主的潜在负面影响。后来Putnam(2001)回应了这一警告,认为个人主义可能导致社区脱离和我们民主的衰落。尽管托克维尔的警告发生在两个世纪前,但在枪支暴力和大规模枪击事件的激增、对气候变化的态度以及各种公共政策中,可以看到激进个人主义的危险以及将自身利益置于更大利益之上的倾向。公民参与是解药吗?面对普遍存在的私利,人们很容易忽视集体的利益,但社区利用民主创造变革的力量带来了希望。根据Longley(2022),“公民参与是指参与旨在改善社区生活质量的活动,解决公众关注的问题,如无家可归、污染或粮食不安全,并发展解决这些问题所需的知识和技能。公民参与可以包括广泛的政治和非政治活动,包括投票、志愿服务和参加社区花园和食品银行等团体活动。”公民参与的好处已经得到了广泛的研究。公民参与与投票、保护环境和促进公共健康(Wike et al.,2022)以及更健康的社会(Healthy People 2030 n.d.;Salinsky,2022)相关。Putnam将公民参与和社会联系的重要性与“学校表现、公共卫生、犯罪率、临床抑郁症、纳税、慈善事业、种族关系、社区发展、人口普查报告、青少年自杀、经济生产力、竞选资金,甚至简单的人类幸福感——所有这些都明显受到如何(以及是否)我们与家人、朋友、邻居和同事建立联系”(Stossel,2000)。Ballard等人(2019)发现,青少年后期/成年早期的公民参与与收入、教育成就和心理健康结果的增加呈正相关。Sanders(2001)发现政治参与在心理上有好处。多年来,正式和机构的公民参与一直在下降(McCann,2022),但Fine和Harrington(2004)提供了另一种视角。他们的研究表明,面对日益减少的机构公民参与,小团体可以有所作为。他们建议,“小团体的激增并没有表明公民社会的衰落,《2023年社区实践杂志》,第31卷,第2期,121-126https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2023.2224470
In the 19 century, Alexis de Tocqueville (1969) cautioned about the omnipotence of the majority and the potential negative effects of individualism on American democracy. Later Putnam (2001) echoed that warning, suggesting that individualism could lead to community disengagement and the decline of our democracy. Although the warning from Tocqueville was two centuries ago, the dangers of radical individualism and the tendency to put self-interest ahead of the greater good can be witnessed today in the proliferation of gun violence and mass shootings, attitudes toward climate change, and a variety of public policies. Is civic engagement the antidote? It is easy to lose sight of the benefit of the collective in the face of pervasive self-interest, but the power of community to use democracy to create change offers hope. According to Longley (2022), “civic engagement means participating in activities intended to improve the quality of life in one’s community by addressing issues of public concern, such as homelessness, pollution, or food insecurity, and developing the knowledge and skills needed to address those issues. Civic engagement can involve a wide range of political and nonpolitical activities including voting, volunteering, and participating in group activities like community gardens and food banks.” The benefits of engaging civically have been widely researched. Civic engagement has been linked to good citizenry as measured by voting, protecting the environment and advancing public health (Wike et al., 2022) and to healthier societies (Healthy People 2030 n.d.; Salinsky, 2022). Putnam linked the importance of civic engagement and social connectedness to “school performance, public health, crime rates, clinical depression, tax compliance, philanthropy, race relations, community development, census returns, teen suicide, economic productivity, campaign finance, even simple human happiness – all are demonstrably affected by how (and whether) we connect with our family and friends and neighbors and coworkers” (Stossel, 2000). Ballard et al. (2019) found civic engagement in later adolescence/early adulthood to be positively associated with increased income, educational achievement, and mental health outcomes. Sanders (2001) found psychological benefits to political participation. Formal and institutional civic engagement has been declining for years (McCann, 2022), but Fine and Harrington (2004) provide an alternative perspective. Their research showed that in the face of declining institutional civil engagement, small groups can make a big difference. They suggested that “instead of indicating a decline in civil society, a proliferation of small groups JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PRACTICE 2023, VOL. 31, NO. 2, 121–126 https://doi.org/10.1080/10705422.2023.2224470
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Community Practice is an interdisciplinary journal grounded in social work. It is designed to provide a forum for community practice, including community organizing, planning, social administration, organizational development, community development, and social change. The journal contributes to the advancement of knowledge related to numerous disciplines, including social work and the social sciences, urban planning, social and economic development, community organizing, policy analysis, urban and rural sociology, community health, public administration, and nonprofit management. As a forum for authors and a resource for readers, this journal makes an invaluable contribution to the community"s conceptualization, applications, and practice.