"Join or Die": Why You Should Join a Club

“Join or Die” is a film about why you should join a club — and why the fate of America depends on it.

It's a documentary film that explores the decline of social and community engagement in America. Inspired by the sociologist Robert Putnam's book Bowling Alone, the film examines how the weakening of community ties has led to a range of societal issues, from increased loneliness and mental health problems to political polarization and weakened democracy. Through interviews with experts, activists, and ordinary citizens, the film highlights the importance of rebuilding community connections and fostering a sense of belonging. The film underscores the urgency of reversing the trend of social fragmentation and encourages viewers to take action to strengthen their own communities.

His groundbreaking Bowling Alone research — which demonstrated that levels of American community connections were in decline over the past half-century — rocketed Putnam to national fame in the late 1990s, earning him the moniker “the poet laureate of civil society” and the ear of presidents, religious leaders, and tech founders over the coming decades. In 2012, President Obama awarded Putnam the National Humanities

Medal, the nation’s highest honor for contributions to the humanities. As more Americans turn on to the reality of our social isolation crisis, a consistent drumbeat of media interest in revisiting Putnam’s work has grown.

Hear more about this concept at the DISTRICT CONFERENCE!