A new study from the United States points to how Wal-Mart, and other big box stores, are radically remaking the social fabric that makes up our communities. In their study, Stephan J. Goetz and Anil Rupasingha find that the presence of Wal-Mart in our communities seriously diminishes our "social capital" - the networks, norms and social trust that help us to coordinate and cooperate in our own communities. Visit our research section to download the entire study. For more information, read the related entry The Hometown Advantage.