Book clubs and knitting circles can help restore democratic habits

A Boston Globe profile describes Martha Crawford’s New Mexico workshops that teach people how to form small community groups — from reading circles to support groups — and notes researchers who say such local ties can strengthen civic skills and reduce support for authoritarian ideas.

Martha Crawford, a New Mexico teacher and social worker, leads workshops that teach people how to form and sustain small community groups. Those groups range from adoptee support circles to book clubs and knitting groups. The workshops focus on shared leadership, simple meeting roles and peaceful ways to manage disagreement. The article links this local work to research suggesting stronger social ties support democratic habits and reduce support for extreme political responses. Reported details: - Crawford runs recurring "group group" sessions and co-facilitates with psychologist Deserie Charles to help prospective leaders manage group responsibilities and reduce overwhelm. - The gatherings Crawford supports include themed groups (reading, knitting, adoptee support) that provide local sources of mutual aid and social connection. - The article cites public policy researchers Catherine Herrold and Khaldoun AbouAssi and a University of Arizona study saying locally based groups build civic skills like discussion and reduce endorsement of right-wing authoritarian ideas. - Examples in the reporting include Greg Boyle’s observation that groups make members feel "safe, seen and cherished," and Nikolai Huke’s account of Spanish mortgage support groups that lobbied for eviction law changes and organized community actions. Summary: The article connects the practical work of teaching people to form small, sustained groups with research about social connection and democratic resilience. It frames local group-building as a way to revive habits of give-and-take and civic practice. Undetermined at this time.