Status
Available
Call number
Call number
711.57 KL
Collection
Publication
Crown (2018), 288 pages
Description
"An eminent sociologist--and coauthor, with Aziz Ansari, of the #1 New York Times bestseller Modern Romance--makes the provocative case that the future of democratic societies rests not only on shared values but also on shared "social infrastructure": the libraries, childcare centers, bookstores, coffee shops, pools, and parks that promote crucial, sometimes life-saving connections between people who might otherwise fail to find common cause"-- "An eminent sociologist and bestselling author offers an inspiring blueprint for rebuilding our fractured society. We are living in a time of deep divisions. Americans are sorting themselves along racial, religious, and cultural lines, leading to a level of polarization that the country hasn't seen since the Civil War. Pundits and politicians are calling for us to come together, to find common purpose. But how, exactly, can this be done? In Palaces for the People, Eric Klinenberg suggests a way forward. He believes that the future of democratic societies rests not simply on shared values but on shared spaces: the libraries, childcare centers, bookstores, churches, synagogues, and parks where crucial, sometimes life-saving connections, are formed. These are places where people gather and linger, making friends across group lines and strengthening the entire community. Klinenberg calls this the 'social infrastructure': When it is strong, neighborhoods flourish; when it is neglected, as it has been in recent years, families and individuals must fend for themselves. Klinenberg takes us around the globe--from a floating school in Bangladesh to an arts incubator in Chicago, from a soccer pitch in Queens to an evangelical church in Houston--to show how social infrastructure is helping to solve some of our most pressing challenges: isolation, crime, education, addiction, political polarization, and even climate change. Richly reported, elegantly written, and ultimately uplifting, Palaces for the People urges us to acknowledge the crucial role these spaces play in civic life. Our social infrastructure could be the key to bridging our seemingly unbridgeable divides--and safeguarding democracy."--Jacket.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member rivkat
A celebration of the infrastructure that makes communities healthy and strong, primarily libraries but also other spaces that citizens can and often must interact with people not like them, and figure out how to get along. Libraries are, of course, powerful engines for fighting inequality because
Show More
of the access to information they provide—and increasingly they provide access to other things, including space just to be for people who don’t have other places to go, even as we defund them around the country. Other aspects of social infrastructure include public transit, public schools, and even privately owned but open to the public places like coffeehouses. There’s also the benefit of public space: not just the health benefits, but sociability and safety benefits as well when public spaces are attractive. Klinenberg builds on the missed opportunity of “fixing broken windows,” pointing out that the central concept that led to criminalizing so many mostly minority people was supposed to be about property. What if we’d taken that example/metaphor seriously, instead of policing for nuisance crimes, and focused on rehabilitating abandoned or neglected property instead of on arresting people doing potentially annoying things in public? Using evidence from the US and elsewhere, Klinenberg suggests that investment in cleaning up dangerous and unsightly pieces of property has significant benefits in reducing crime and enhancing community interactions, which then provide protective structures for people facing hard times. Show Less
LibraryThing member bfister
There are two things I love about Eric Klinenberg’s Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life. First, he makes a great case for things that matter to me – public investment in basic infrastructure that encourages us
cover Palaces for the PeopleBut it’s a big, complex argument, and some readers may find that challenging. He doesn’t focus on a singular problem, but writes about many, each of which is the subject of any number of books: social isolation, economic and racial stratification, the outsourcing of our social interactions to ad-tech companies, the opiod crisis, the defunding of libraries and schools, mistakes in urban planning, and climate change and what it means for our future lives together. His argument is that we need to think harder about how to build social infrastructure into the proposed solutions to all social problems because how we design things to benefit the humans who live with them matters as much as all the concrete or technology we pour into them.
Social infrastructure is not the same thing as social capital. It’s rather “the physical places and organizations that shape the way people interact,” and those things in turn determine whether or not we can develop social capital. (I was tickled by Klinenberg’s clever riff on “bowling alone” that adds to and to some extent refutes Robert Putnam’s classic.) We can influence the things that either help us feel connected and supported in a community - or isolated and alone. The need is pressing because we face a rise in authoritarianism, polarization, and oceans all at the same time.
The systems we built in the past were expressions of what we wanted for society. National parks, railroads, libraries, schools – they were bold statements about who we thought we could be. As our hard infrastructure crumbles and our social problems grow, we need to think about who we want to be, together: “Before we lift the next shovel, we should know what we want to improve, what we need to protect, and, more important, what kind of society we want to create.” He argues for an inclusive and democratic conversation about those things, harnessing not just civil engineering or tech solutionism but what we know about society to fix the fissures in our communities. The examples he explores are fascinating and give academics and librarians plenty to think about and to apply locally as we think about our own spaces and social interactions.
Titles can be misleading, as John Warner pointed out recently – and this one is, a bit. What Klinenberg advocates is not luxury along the lines of grand train stations of the past but decency and thoughtfulness in designing the spaces we live in, especially at a moment when the current administration has promised public investment in infrastructure. (Controlling immigration on the Mexican border by building a huge, expensive wall is mentioned as hard infrastructure that doesn’t have a soft side or great social benefit apart from temporary construction jobs.) The purpose of the book is stated more clearly in the subtitle, but publishers have a habit of overpromising when they put an elevator pitch on the cover.
In this case, the author delivers, but it also shows how ambitious this work is: an attempt to pull together research that addresses “soft” infrastructure at a moment when there’s talk of spending lots of money on “hard" infrastructure that could create stronger communities if planned thoughtfully and addressed to our most pressing problems rather than politically expedient promises. This includes expensive new projects like building breakwaters that invite community engagement while addressing rising sea levels, or simply funding public libraries adequately and understanding how they bind communities together.
If nothing else, the academic research Klinenberg has pulled into this narrative is cheering news that academic research, without making it over-simplified, can be fascinating and of great value if we understand it and act on it.
Show More
to live together in healthy ways. I’ll admit, he had me at public libraries, but I stayed for the parks, housing, education, public health, and preparation for climate change. Second, it’s a great example of research made accessible to non-experts, going on the shelf next to Matt Desmond’s Evicted, Cathy O’Neil’s Weapons of Math Destruction, and Virginia Eubanks' Automating Inequality among others. I would love to show students how the dry literature review can become a lively form of public communication. In this case, Klinenberg draws on loads of published scholarship as well as his own, weaving it together into a powerful argument.cover Palaces for the PeopleBut it’s a big, complex argument, and some readers may find that challenging. He doesn’t focus on a singular problem, but writes about many, each of which is the subject of any number of books: social isolation, economic and racial stratification, the outsourcing of our social interactions to ad-tech companies, the opiod crisis, the defunding of libraries and schools, mistakes in urban planning, and climate change and what it means for our future lives together. His argument is that we need to think harder about how to build social infrastructure into the proposed solutions to all social problems because how we design things to benefit the humans who live with them matters as much as all the concrete or technology we pour into them.
Social infrastructure is not the same thing as social capital. It’s rather “the physical places and organizations that shape the way people interact,” and those things in turn determine whether or not we can develop social capital. (I was tickled by Klinenberg’s clever riff on “bowling alone” that adds to and to some extent refutes Robert Putnam’s classic.) We can influence the things that either help us feel connected and supported in a community - or isolated and alone. The need is pressing because we face a rise in authoritarianism, polarization, and oceans all at the same time.
The systems we built in the past were expressions of what we wanted for society. National parks, railroads, libraries, schools – they were bold statements about who we thought we could be. As our hard infrastructure crumbles and our social problems grow, we need to think about who we want to be, together: “Before we lift the next shovel, we should know what we want to improve, what we need to protect, and, more important, what kind of society we want to create.” He argues for an inclusive and democratic conversation about those things, harnessing not just civil engineering or tech solutionism but what we know about society to fix the fissures in our communities. The examples he explores are fascinating and give academics and librarians plenty to think about and to apply locally as we think about our own spaces and social interactions.
Titles can be misleading, as John Warner pointed out recently – and this one is, a bit. What Klinenberg advocates is not luxury along the lines of grand train stations of the past but decency and thoughtfulness in designing the spaces we live in, especially at a moment when the current administration has promised public investment in infrastructure. (Controlling immigration on the Mexican border by building a huge, expensive wall is mentioned as hard infrastructure that doesn’t have a soft side or great social benefit apart from temporary construction jobs.) The purpose of the book is stated more clearly in the subtitle, but publishers have a habit of overpromising when they put an elevator pitch on the cover.
In this case, the author delivers, but it also shows how ambitious this work is: an attempt to pull together research that addresses “soft” infrastructure at a moment when there’s talk of spending lots of money on “hard" infrastructure that could create stronger communities if planned thoughtfully and addressed to our most pressing problems rather than politically expedient promises. This includes expensive new projects like building breakwaters that invite community engagement while addressing rising sea levels, or simply funding public libraries adequately and understanding how they bind communities together.
If nothing else, the academic research Klinenberg has pulled into this narrative is cheering news that academic research, without making it over-simplified, can be fascinating and of great value if we understand it and act on it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mitchellray
In "Palaces for the People", Eric Klinenberg makes sociological research accessible to the general reader. He writes in a non-academic style—meaning his writing is clear, engaging, and relevant. In this book Klinenberg describes the importance of social infrastructure. These are shared public
Show More
spaces, such as libraries, childcare centers, bookstores, barbershops, churches, and parks. Klinenberg explains how these spaces contribute to building community and the impact on health, crime, education, climate change, and other critical issues confronting society today. Klinenberg draws on examples from around the globe to illustrate the significance of an often neglected factor in society. This is a book to be read by all citizens. Klinenberg makes us aware of the urgent need to support public spaces if we are to successfully confront today’s complex social challenges. Show Less
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
How properly designed public space can affect society and individuals for the better.
LibraryThing member bell7
Sociologist Eric Klinenberg begins with a fatal heat wave in Chicago in the summer of 1995. Sociologists studying it tried to figure out why some neighborhoods had people suffering more or dying from the heat, while others seemed to have better support in place. Accounting for wealthy and poor
The beginning of the book especially focuses on libraries, the way in which they support the community with programs and a third space, connecting multiple generations and building relationships. No one who knows me will be surprised by the fact that this was the part that interested me most. Even when he starts talking about other avenues that personally interest me less, however, Klinenberg makes a strong argument that we should start thinking about these spaces in a variety of ways, from how we address crime (cleaning up areas that are abandoned or overgrown makes a huge difference) to functional infrastructure in dealing with storm surges being made beautiful spaces to bring people together. He may be, I think, a little on the idealistic side but his ideas are worth thinking about and bringing before city planners. I have not heard many - well, any before him - people talking about social infrastructure, and I will start paying attention to ways in which his ideas play out in the public sphere. I will also keep it in my back pocket that while I can't always point out to a quantitative result in the daily work I do, I make a qualitative difference in the lives I touch every day at work, at church and at play.
Show More
neighborhoods didn't quite cover the split, as some less well-to-do neighborhoods had even better survival rates. From there, Klinenberg begins his argument about the importance of social infrastructure, those places where we gather - libraries, bookstores, college campuses, parks, churches, and more - that allow us to build relationships in our neighborhoods and communities.The beginning of the book especially focuses on libraries, the way in which they support the community with programs and a third space, connecting multiple generations and building relationships. No one who knows me will be surprised by the fact that this was the part that interested me most. Even when he starts talking about other avenues that personally interest me less, however, Klinenberg makes a strong argument that we should start thinking about these spaces in a variety of ways, from how we address crime (cleaning up areas that are abandoned or overgrown makes a huge difference) to functional infrastructure in dealing with storm surges being made beautiful spaces to bring people together. He may be, I think, a little on the idealistic side but his ideas are worth thinking about and bringing before city planners. I have not heard many - well, any before him - people talking about social infrastructure, and I will start paying attention to ways in which his ideas play out in the public sphere. I will also keep it in my back pocket that while I can't always point out to a quantitative result in the daily work I do, I make a qualitative difference in the lives I touch every day at work, at church and at play.
Show Less
LibraryThing member infjsarah
We should invest in social infrastructure as much as normal infrastructure. As a strong believer in libraries I am not going to argue. But sadly I can't see it happening and Klinenberg is probably preaching to the choir.
LibraryThing member AKBouterse
Like many readers, I'm obsessed with libraries. They are one of my favorite to work and study and at this point in my life, having had to move several times, I'd much rather just get books at the library rather than own them. This book shows how libraries and other public spaces can be important
I have long supported investment in public infrastructure. Public transport is important, libraries are important, parks are important, and so on and so on. It's one of the issues I have with recent tech companies like Uber. Uber can sometimes be seen as a solution to the problem of public transportation infrastructure when really it, as discussed in the book, separates people further as people who have money to take Ubers remove themselves from public transportation.
I think this book is great for people like me who love the type of social infrastructure discussed in this book and would like more tools for discussing the reasons why this sort of infrastructure is so important. I would definitely recommend this book.
Show More
for things beyond their described purpose. Good social infrastructure can be crucial for reducing crime and bring together people who normally wouldn't interact. I have person experience with this. I go to college at the University of Minnesota. The campus comes right up to the edge of downtown Minneapolis, a city that's been in the news a lot recently for obvious and important reasons. One of my favorite places to go was Minneapolis Central library. This library is in the heart of the city and draws in every type of person who lives in the city. Even though my campus is very close to downtown, it's still very separate. It is the public library that gives me my best connection to the people that live in the city around me. I have long supported investment in public infrastructure. Public transport is important, libraries are important, parks are important, and so on and so on. It's one of the issues I have with recent tech companies like Uber. Uber can sometimes be seen as a solution to the problem of public transportation infrastructure when really it, as discussed in the book, separates people further as people who have money to take Ubers remove themselves from public transportation.
I think this book is great for people like me who love the type of social infrastructure discussed in this book and would like more tools for discussing the reasons why this sort of infrastructure is so important. I would definitely recommend this book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member untitled841
You may use them or not but community spaces and programs abound in many parts of America. A deeper look at what it takes to keep them going, the community that uses them and the benefits even if you don't use them. A great book and easy to read non fiction.
LibraryThing member Moshepit20
"Today, as cities and suburbs reinvent themselves, and as cynics claim that government has nothing good to contribute to that process, it's important that institutions like libraries get the recognition they deserve. After all, the root of the word "library," liber; means both "book" and "free."
Show More
Libraries stand for and exemplify something that needs defending: the public institutions that -- even in an age of atomization and inequality -- serve as bedrocks of civil society. Libraries are the kinds of places where ordinary people with different backgrounds, passions, and interests can take part in a living democratic culture. They are the kinds of places where the public, private, and philanthropic sectors can work together to reach for something higher than the bottom line.” Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9781524761165