In my first post about The Upswing, by Robert D. Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett, I shared some initial reactions.  Before I get to further posts about my reflections I thought it might be helpful to share some of the key metrics that the authors document that define the “I-We-I” Curve of collectivist tendencies in American society from the Gilded Age of the late 19th Century to today. 

Putnam and Garrett track thoroughly a set of trends related to economic disparity, political rhetoric and behavior, social connection and cohesion, cultural expression, and of course race and gender equity.  In every single one of these dimensions, there is a parallel experience in which we moved in a clear bell curve from a low place of individualistic and self-focused ideas and behaviors, to a high point of collective identity and policy, and then back down.  The curve, which the authors title the “I-We-I Curve” and displayed in many charts in the book, basically looks like the picture accompanying this post.

Tracking the social policies and the actions of social, political, religious and other civic leaders across this spectrum of time, every single one of these indicators moved pretty much in lock step.   

In the 1880’s -1890’s we lived in the era of the robber barons, in a society mired in social dysfunction of every kind.  Power was concentrated in the hands of the few, and opportunity to break out of poverty was limited for most it affected.  Access to education, health care, and better jobs was for the privileged few.  Over five decades that picture changed dramatically. With a few pauses because of World Wars I and II and the Depression, things got steadily better.  And then the pendulum swung back.   

To paraphrase a metaphor from the book, it was as if, in reaction to the 1960’s, American society took its foot off the pedal of the engine of progress.  The focus on civil rights that peaked in the 60’s accompanied a reaction to the conformity of the 1950’s.  Individual rights came more sharply into focus.  The breakthroughs in the civil rights arena, around voting rights, the Equal Rights Amendment, and abortion rights, were accompanied by widespread counter-cultural expression – in music, clothing, hairstyles, drug use, and sexuality.  And there was a significant counter-reaction.   

The counter-reaction has been splintered, reflecting different choices about when individual rights mattered (ie. the right to bear arms, reducing taxes), and when conformity was ok or we could forego protecting individuals (ie. the fight against LGBTQ rights, anti-abortion activism, limiting access to healthcare).  I find it one of the more puzzling inconsistencies of the political right. 

Since the 1970s the trend lines are clear, and downward, in every facet that Putnam and Garrett document.  Income disparity has grown, civic engagement has declined, and I’m not sure social trust could be any lower.  I don’t have to go too far in describing this – we’ve all been living it. 

But The Upswing is an optimistic book.  It takes a hard look at 130 years of American social and political history and trends and recognizes several things: 

1. We are in a very bad space. 

1. We have been here before. 

1. It got better before, and it can get better again. 

In our hyper-charged information-overloaded environment, we can keep doom-scrolling on our phones, glued to our screens as the news outlets we prefer confirm every worst fear we have.  Or we can zoom out and look at a longer sweep of history and recognize that the view from 30,000 feet is different.  There are pendulum swings in society and culture, and we appear to be at one very bad end of the spectrum.  Pendulums can be left to their own momentum, or we can intervene and adjust their course. 

In my next few posts I’ll reflect on a few that seem particularly meaningful or relevant to me.