I've actually looked at Warren's book in another class and context, so it's very interesting for me to put it toward the ideas of what we're trying to achieve. His argument definitely does bode well with social networking, although I feel it takes on a bit of a different notion when put into a digital context. The challenge comes when thinking about the true role that faith could play on a computer screen. While obviously for us, we aren't looking to necessarily connect politics, beliefs, and organizations through faith, I think that his model is hard to recreate as he explains his findings through a faith lens. Faith is a very tricky and powerful subject, especially as we've seen talking about Gamm's article. I'm not sure we could necessarily find the same type of synergy that faith creates to have people "religiously" use our map in the ways we intended it to be utilized. I may be being too close minded about this idea, but I'm having a hard time connecting all the ideas in his article to what we could practically apply to our class and our website. On a less pessimistic view, I certainly believe that Warren's suggestion can be played out in a more broad sense; by looking for aspects in American society that advance/cultivate/catalyze people's participation and how that can be tapped into and expelled towards others to make that phenomenon a norm. That's what I see our challenge as in relation to Dry Bones Rattling.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Dry Bones Rattling
Mark Warren's Dry Bones Rattling is a very interesting take on how to get America's social capital back up where it needs to be, yet in a way that includes racial consciousness and participation by all. He uses Texas' Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) network as a model for how this idea can be achieved in the most challenging of spots, the inner cities. Now, his main idea is that the way to shoot up America's social capital, and essentially its democratic ideals, is by essentially making politics and community organizations one through the beliefs, missions, and ethics that drive both.
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In an effort to engage Warren’s findings as both relevant and helpful within the context of our project, I agree with Dean that his argument takes on a different notion when put into a digital context. Evaluating the role faith can play is definitely complicated as it is, even more so when conducted through impersonal means of connection. With this in mind, I think what we can take from Warren’s findings does not center around the results of his research on faith-based community organizing. Within his study of faith-based organizing, the idea of a “habit of participation” arises. This term is defined with regard to political life and social institutions, specifically referring to a cultivated sense of duty for civic engagement. This idea clearly fits in with the goal of the project, that being an increase in community engagement (on political, social, etc. levels). However, I think we should apply this term specifically to the use of the map as a tool (as opposed to the outcome it will serve of increasing engagement). With our map, we want to cultivate a “habit of participation.” We want our users not only to explore the map, but to return to it on a regular basis. Essentially, we should aim for the users to be shaping the product through their use, as opposed to the creators designing a model that would remain stagnant due to the fact that users are not regularly engaging with and modifying the map.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Dean's point as to the role of faith being hard to integrate in our project. I also agree with Zoe's point of creating a "habit of participation," which is a little more relevant to the map. However, I also took note of other things in Warren's Dry Bones Rattling.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 1, Warren makes some important points. First, he argues that social capital is a necessary but not sufficient resource for democracy and that community building is the key to sustaining and revitalizing democracy in American society. Toward the end, he argues that religious organizations are viable institutions through which community building can occur because they are natural forums for social connectedness rooted in strong traditions that facilitate learning and community building.
I think that this first point is quite relevant to our map. Through our map, we are trying to re-build a community which as Warren says is important for democracy in American society. If you look at the map in this context, we are doing pretty big things. To his second point, about religious organizations, this relates to Gamm's point in his article, where we need religious type congregations to gather people. Although our map isn't religiously affiliated, it provides a place for community building.