Wisconsin Humanities Council Events

Building Community: The Economics of Neighborliness

The Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service’s “Building Community: The Economics of Neighborliness” program sought  to help communities and individuals in Wisconsin address the recent decline in the social fabric of American community life. This series of events, co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Humanities Council and the University of Wisconsin- Marathon County, was organized into three interwoven thematic threads : “Commodities and Social Capital”; “Creating Community Through the Arts”; and “Bringing it Home and Into the Future.” The goals of the series were to raise public awareness of the factors that undermine the sense of community in contemporary society; provide humanities education on the historical contexts of community in America; and engage the public in meaningful dialogue on how we might sustain and increase a sense of community in the face of ongoing challenges. Events in the 2009–2010 series included:

Video: Caught in the Middle: America's Heartland in the Age of Globalism—Presentation by Richard Longworth

Celebrated author Richard Longworth speaks on his nationally-acclaimed book, which has been called "passionate, probing and painfully honest" and a superb analysis of the crisis that has occurred in the Midwest due to the aftereffects of globalization. Issues such as immigration, urban and suburban ghettos, rural ghost towns, failing schools, and tangled politics have all challenged Midwesterners, but Longworth believes that America's "heartland assets" of rich farmland, fresh water, industrial traditions, and powerhouse universities can revitalize the region and reposition it for a brighter future. Longworth is a former foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, a Senior Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and Distinguished Visiting Scholar at DePaul University.

Caught In the Middle: America's Heartland in the Age of Globalism from WIPPS on Vimeo.

Community Building and Maintenance Across the Generations: From Ice Cream Socials to Facebook—Discussion With Ann Herda-Rapp and Community Members

 

 

Arts as Play that Builds Community—Art Residency and Presentation by Tommy Rueff of Happen, Inc.

 

 

Community Development and the Arts—Panel with Maryo Ewell, Erik Takeshita, and Linda Ware

 

 

Sustainable Poetry: Joel Friederich Poetry Reading

 

 

Trains, Planes, and What Sustains: How Transportation Builds Community— Panel with Brett Barker, Gregory Thompson, and Mark Parman

 

 

The Role of Religion in Building American Community—Panel with Jim Lorence, Jim Veninga, Paul Boyer and Jeff Kaplan

 

 

The Stewardship of Eaters and Providers: How Sustainable Agriculture Builds Community—Panel with Eric Boos, Katrina Becker, Paul Whitaker, Tony Schulz, Craig Carlson, and Blaine Tornow

 

 

We Came, We Sawed, We Built: Post-Katrina Student Service-Learning Project— Discussion with Ann Herda-Rapp and members of the UWMC Community Building Club
This program highlighted the efforts of the UWMC Student Community-Building Club, focusing on how their activities in Louisiana helped to mend, build and strengthen communities there, but also how their activities built and strengthened the sense of community among club members. UWMC Associate Professor of Sociology and Club Advisor Ann Herda-Rapp led a panel discussion that explored the culture, history, and social landscape of New Orleans, as well as patterns of community development and social inequality. Past and current student club members discussed the four post-Katrina service trips to New Orleans in which they partnered with local Habitat for Humanity affiliates to build affordable, flood/storm-proof housing.

 

For a detailed description of the series events, see the series brochure:
Building Community: The Economics of Neighborliness (PDF)


The Wisconsin Humanities Council supports and creates
programs that use history, culture and discussion to strengthen
community life for everyone in Wisconsin.