As an academic and researcher I am used to reading about all manner of social phenomena. However, one that has intrigued me more than most others is the idea of social capital. In a nutshell, social capital is the level of trust, connectedness, and mutual reciprocity within a community. Theoretically, social capital is important to a host of social issues such as child rearing and economic development in a community. Anyway, the website "The Oil Drum: New York City" has an interesting map of social capital scores by state as well as an interesting article on social capital cribbed from Robert Putnam's book "Bowling Alone". Overall it's an interesting map and interesting read.