Social Capitalists and The Opportunity Gap

I've finally finished Applebee's America (damn is it hard to find time to read these days). The book doesn't have much new to say, at least not if you've been paying attention to political/business strategy discussions or have spent any time reading about the GOP 2004 GOTV strategy.

In a nutshell - "Gut Values" connections, not policy proposals, are what win voters; people group by lifestyle affinities not ideology; and word of mouth trumps broadcast advertising. Essentially the book is a strategy memo about framing and community-building told in the language of cutting-edge corporate marketing.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then I suggest reading it. If my last paragraph sounded very familiar, you can probably pass on this book. There are some good case studies, and a few rudimentary how-tos, but mostly the book builds an argument in favor of life targeting as a tactic. By far the freshest piece of information, to me, was the description of mega churches. Sosnik, Dowd and Fournier tell a good tale about the rise and practices of mega-churches, and their descriptions definitely broke down some stereotypes I was holding onto.

Also interesting to me was the discussion of Millenials - or what the authors label "Generation 9/11." Find out why after the jump.

In the course of their book, the authors identify three personality types that are revitalizing community: social entrepreneurs, or people who connect and build community via the internet; civic entreprenuers, who connect to create change in their physical communities, and social capitalists, who combine the traits of the previous two categories.

The people who fit into these categories are key to the authors' thesis. They are the "navigators" (or influentials, mavens, schmoozers, if you prefer Putnam or Gladwell's analysis) - that politicians and businesses need to reach. In a society that is craving community and connection, they are the mini power brokers who can influence how people vote and what they buy.

Millenials are clearly a generation that is leading the charge in the first and second categories. We are the largest demographic segment using social networks, and we volunteer in our communities more than any other demographic. As for social capitalists - we are less active than older demographics in the netroots - which is where the truly effective social capitalists can be found. I think that will change as campaigns and the parties learn to make use of online social networking. When FaceBook launched its "newsfeed," over 700,000 users self-organized in protest. When the immigration rallies occurred in the spring, hundreds of thousands of young immigrants and 1st generation Americans rallied using MySpace and text messaging. The tools are in place, and people are capable of self-organizing. We just haven't yet seen it happen in an electoral contest.

With all that in mind, it's strange to me that the authors never explicity make the connection between the habits of Milenials and these three character types. Even stranger that they give young people such short shrift (the section on Generation 9/11 is relegated to the last 10 pages of the book). It's a hole in their text, to be sure.

The authors also discuss a growing "Opportunity Gap" among the millenial generation. They note that while women and people of color are closing achievement gaps, and money is no longer the status symbol that it was for our parents or older siblings, millions are being priced out of college and other life opportunities. The authors predict - as I've written here and here - that this will become a defining policy issue for our generation:

The Opportunities Gap will be one of the defining issues off Generation 9/11. The socially conscious high-opportunity Generation 9/11 members will make closing that gap a major political issue. Remember, it was the Greatest Generation that inspired the GI Bill and the growth of organized labor in the 195s, two reasons for the rise of the middle class. Businesses will realize that people on the privileged side of the Opportunities Gap will pay top dollar to improve their quality of life, whether for the latest gadget, a vacation cruise, or a loaded minivan for the family. Folks on the wrong side of the Opportunities Gap will be forced to jump from brand to brand in search of value. Churches and othe rnonprofits will find a great cause in helping those trying to bidge the Opportunities Gap.

I think the authors have hit on something here, and their language is apt. Individual policy proposals aren't going to excite people - no matter how much they care about the issue. Yet talking about an Opportunity Gap, or the failure of government and society to protect access to the American Dream can be the basis of a powerful message to rally young people to a political cause.