A dab of glue holding the city together
Plus, yurt life, the unequal landscape of civic opportunity in America, and Senator Murphy's spiritual renaissance
Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July might be the most distinctly American celebrations, but Thanksgiving takes the cake (or, in this case, pie) when it comes to commitment. If July 4th is a holiday of choice—where those who aren’t working make fun plans for vacations or BBQs or fireworks—Thanksgiving is a holiday of obligation. We commit to spending quality time, however uncomfortable, with our families or close friends. By mid-afternoon, it’s cold, it’s dark, and all we’re left to focus on is the food at the table and the people around us. It’s a special time (except for the turkey population).
We’re grateful that you spent a few minutes of your Thanksgiving holiday joining us. This week, we’re back to serving up some of our favorite reads: we’ve had a backlog of excellent ones after a two-week hiatus from our curated lists.
What can the story of a security guard in Portland tell us about the concentrating burdens of care in our communities?
How does civic opportunity vary by place in the US?
And why has Senator Murphy staked his political name on the issue of loneliness?
As always, please share any feedback with us, and for this week, we welcome your favorite recipe too. Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy holiday.
- Eric, David, and Sam
The Reads
New York Times - “He’s a Dab of Glue in a Broken City. Can He Hold It Together?” by Eli Saslow (Oct. 2023)
Pulitzer Prize winning author Eli Saslow tells the story of Michael Bock, a private security guard in Portland, OR who has become the solution of last resort in a downtown riddled by mental health challenges, chronic homelessness, and drugs. Bock patrols the city in his family minivan in search of people in need, guided by his deep belief that “love is the devotion to the wellbeing of others without regard to cost.” It can be emotionally taxing as a reader to spend a day with Bock, as he encounters human suffering and brokenness from start-to-finish. The story forces us to confront what happens as we outsource the duties of protection and care to fewer and fewer people. As Bock shares during a phone call with his wife, “I’m neck deep in other people’s pain. I’m out here with a piece of plywood, and I’m trying to hold back the whole ocean.”
NPR - “What Makes Mongolia the World’s Most ‘Socially Connected’ Place? Maybe It’s #yurtlife” by Katya Cengel (Nov. 2023)
According to a new Gallup report, Mongolia ranks as the most socially connected country in the world, with more than 95% of its citizens reporting feeling “very” or “fairly” connected to one another. This social cohesion is best exemplified by the culture of connection nurtured through the traditional ger (aka yurt) - a circular tent-like structure lacking interior walls that has been used as shelter by Mongolian families for thousands of years. The ger lifestyle both shapes and has been shaped by Mongolians’ collective spiritual beliefs and values, which place a strong emphasis on interdependence, nature, and family. These close-knit, intergenerational families, in turn, form the basis of close-knit neighborhoods and towns.
The Research
Nature Human Behaviour - “The Unequal Landscape of Civic Opportunity in America” by de Vries, Kim, & Han (Nov. 2023)
This study leverages data science methods to begin answering a big question: what is the landscape of civic opportunity in America? The authors define civic opportunity, or the supply side of social capital, as “the opportunities people have to encounter the experiences necessary to cultivate the capacities for collective life in pluralistic societies.” They arrive at two main findings:
Wealthier, whiter, more educated communities are more likely to have civic opportunity. Civic opportunity scores per capita increase as poverty levels decrease and the percentage of white, college-educated residents increases. These civic opportunity rich places are more likely to come together to solve shared problems, such as engaging in mutual aid.
The most common organizations providing opportunity across America are social-fraternal and religious organizations. Together, they account for 37% of all civic opportunity organizations, and, in 85% of counties, they are the top providers of civic opportunity. However, fewer and fewer of these groups are being started: in 1960, they represented 62% of all new nonprofits; today, they represent just 28%.
Many counties in the U.S. are—or on the cusp of becoming—civic opportunity deserts. With few, if any, opportunities to come together, residents are both less connected to and trusting of one another, and less able to take civic action. This research is a step in the right direction: understanding where these places are can inform where and what type of investments in civic infrastructure are needed to strengthen civic opportunity.
→ read the full journal article here (note: academic credentials required)
The Work
Vanity Fair - “Chris Murphy wants to make America a little bit less lonely” (Nov. 2023)
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) has, rather surprisingly, become a leading national voice on the issues of community decline, isolation, and loneliness. In June, he made a speech about loneliness on the floor of the Senate. He followed this speech up by proposing the National Strategy for Social Connection Act, which would establish an office within The White House to combat loneliness and require a national strategy on social connection. Murphy’s actions have elicited mixed responses, ranging from celebration among social connection advocates, to confusion among parts of the left, to mocking from the right.
Amidst this flurry of action, there has been lots of commentary, but few answers to a basic question: “why?” Why has the Senator who made his name as Capitol Hill’s conscience on gun reform staked his political capital on loneliness?
This month’s Vanity Fair piece begins to answer that question—and it is a must-read. He shares how his gun reform advocacy directly led him to his focus on the tearing of America’s social fabric: “You can’t spend 10 years thinking about violence in America without trying to grapple with the underlying emotional state of a country in which people shoot first and think later.” And he describes how he views loneliness, not as a policy issue, but a spiritual issue that demands a “spiritual renaissance” in response. Murphy may or may not be right. Time will tell. But he certainly is committed–and admirably so.
Have feedback on the newsletter? Want to share content for us to feature? Interested in getting involved as a contributor? Email us at theconnectivetissue@gmail.com.