Resources on the Citizen Activist
Calculate Your Ecological FootprintIf is is possible to change the ongoing depletion of our social, political, and natural capital to maintain economic growth, it will be necessary for people to reevaluate their values and their priorities. However, this requires an awareness of the costs of economic growth. The sites on this page all relate to this process in one way or another.
http://www.lead.org/leadnet/footprint/default.htm
In Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism we discuss the extent to which the consumption patterns of rich countries are responsible for the environmental destruction. This site enables you to calculate your own personal contribution to this destruction.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP)
http://www.ceip.org/
Civic Involvement Survey, 1997 -- American Religion Data Archive [ExplorIt, MicroCase 4.0, SPSS]The CEIP, a leading international affairs think tank, has recently announced a major site redesign. The look and performance of the site have both been improved, with links to the rest of the site and a keyword search engine accessible from every page. Probably the most important area of the site is the publications section, which visitors can browse by title, author, date, or research project, as well as by over 70 topics. Most of the articles, speeches, testimony, and working papers are available in full text, as are the first chapters of books written or edited by Carnegie Endowment associates. Other major sections at the site include programs, which offers information on the various CEIP research areas; and news and resources, which includes a guide to experts and related links. (Scout R
http://www.TheARDA.com/archive/CIVIC.html
In March, the American Religion Data Archive posted data "on the level and types of civic involvement of a nationally representative sample of American adults. Extensive questions about respondents' religious activities and beliefs are also included in the survey." In addition to the data's description, users can view the codebook, download the data, and search or analyze the data. Download options include ExplorIt Software, MicroCase 4.0, SPSS portable file, and ASCII. (Scout Report for the Social Sciences and Humanities, 4/17/01)
Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion
http://www.aaas.org/spp/dser/
In Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism we discuss the kinds of changes required to replenish our environmental, social, and political capital. The American Association for the Advancement of Science established a dialogue to explore the relationship between science, technology, ethics and religion. The site contain resources to explore these relationships.
Eartheasy
http://eartheasy.com/homepage.htm
The lifestyle enjoyed in the world's industrialized countries comes at an unsustainable cost to the environment. In the wake of development and prosperity we see acid rain, greenhouse gases, global warming, toxic waste, water and air pollution, and a global dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. As today's patterns of growth and consumption continue to deplete the environment, our future welfare is at risk. Eartheasy offers ways that we can simplify our lives and develop strategies to sustain our environment.
Economic Democracy
http://www.economicdemocracy.org/
This site examines the distinctions between capitalism, communism, socialism and what it calls economic democracy. Many of the analyses contained in articles on the site relate to ways that we can restore our political capital lost in the efforts to maximize economic growth.
Endgame Research Services
http://www.endgame.org/
The site's mission is "to provide research services and training to citizens who are working for corporate and governmental accountability, and who are committed to socially just and ecologically sustainable societies. We promote an understanding among activists, the media, and the general public of the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the impacts of transnational corporations, financial institutions, and governments. We support the replacement of the giant corporation by more sustainable and equitable institutions." You will also find an excellent guide to institutions of global power.
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
http://www.ilsr.org/
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is a nonprofit research and educational organization that provides technical assistance and information on environmentally sound economic development strategies. Since 1974, ILSR has worked with citizen groups, governments, and private businesses in developing policies that extract the maximum value from local resources.
National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) [.pdf]
http://nccs.urban.org/
A project of the Urban Institute Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, the NCCS is "is the national repository of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States," charged with developing and providing quality data on "nonprofit organizations and their activities for use in research on the relationships between the nonprofit sector, government, the commercial sector, and the broader civil society." At the site, visitors will find a number of tools and resources related to nonprofits. These include databases, a data guide, glossary, fact sheets, state profiles, IRS forms, and a bibliography. Also provided are a list of related mailing lists (including the NCCS mailing list) and general information about the Center and its activities. [ Scout Report for Social Sciences & Humanities -- March 6, 2001]
Networked Democracy
http://www.networkeddemocracy.com/
Doug Walton's site that contains information about evolving new forms of democracy and the role of the internet. Check out the essay on Indicators of Quality of Life.
The New Rules Project
http://www.newrules.org/
Sponsored by The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (see above) the site outlines a set of new rules that builds community by supporting humanly scaled politics and economics. The rules call for: decisions made by those who will feel the impact of those decisions; communities accepting responsibility for the welfare of their members and for the next generation, and households and communities possessing or owning sufficient productive capacity to generate real wealth. These are the principals of a "new localism." The site contains information on how the new localism relates to energy, agriculture, the environment, retail, and financial sectors, among others.
Redefining Progress
http://www.rprogress.org/
Redefining Progress is the site of the Genuine Progress Indicator that illustrates that the GDP is not necessarily an accurate measure of our quality of life. You can also find many resources to better define progress in non-monetary terms.
The Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey
http://www.cfsv.org/communitysurvey/index.html
The growth in GDP can only occur as non-monetary capital is converted into money. For example, social capital, the extent to which we are connected to each other, is constantly being converted into monetary capital, but it is a cost that few people recognize. "Three dozen community foundations, other funders, and the Saguaro Seminar of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University joined together to ask these questions of nearly 30,000 people in the largest-ever survey on the civic engagement of Americans. In the survey, we look at how connected we are to family, friends, neighbors and civic institutions on a local and national level. These connections - our Social Capital - are the glue that hold us together and enable us to build bridges to others. This project will assist residents in each of our local communities as they work to build stronger communities and strengthen community bonds."
Social Isolation in
America
http://www.asanet.org/galleries/default-file/June06ASRFeature.pdf
Who could you count on in an emergency? Do you have a network of people to talk with about relationships, family issues, and the like? These are some of the thorny questions that some sociologists consider of the utmost importance when peering into the heart of contemporary society. According to this study, released in June 2006, Americans’ circle of close friends has shrunk rather dramatically, leaving many to wonder why this might be the case. Researched and written by sociologists at Duke University and the University of Arizona, this provocative 23-page report compares data from 1985 and 2004 in an attempt to determine the depth and extent of social contact across a cross-section of American society. While visitors will want to read the report in its entirety, one finding is particularly troubling: the number of people who said they had no one with whom to discuss important matters doubled to nearly 25 percent from 1985 to 2004. [KMG]
Social Watch
http://socialwatch.org/
A site dedicated to monitoring global progress on eradicating poverty and achieving gender equality, two of the most basic measurements of rebuilding social capital. The site contains a Social development Indicator that allows you to check on the social progress in a multitude of areas for every country. An invaluable resource.
Student Activism in the 1930s
http://newdeal.feri.org/students/
Created under the direction of NYU School of Education Professor Robert Cohen, this new feature at the New Deal Network (first reviewed in the October 25, 1996 Scout Report) explores the history of the American Student Union (ASU). At its peak, between 1936 and 1939, the ASU mobilized some half-million college students on behalf of a far-reaching reform agenda, including an end to war, federal aid to education, government job programs for youth, abolition of the compulsory ROTC, academic freedom, racial equality, and collective bargaining rights. Included at the site are a fine collection of contemporary and historical essays, photographs and editorial cartoons, memoirs, and other documents. The site has obvious utility for scholars and students of American history and the history of education, and it may also appeal to present-day student activists. (Scout Report 12/8/00)
