Social capital: the benefit of Facebook ‘friends’ (original) (raw)

Social Capital in modern society

This paper is a theoretical study that examines the correlation between social capital and Internet use from a sociological perspective. This highly topical subject has been debated both in and outside the sociological world the past few years and there are differing opinions about the Internet's impact on the creation and maintenance of social capital. This study aims to identify the prominent views expressed in the subject and to uncover the various arguments that have been brought into the debate. With the general theory of social capital and networks as the basis, this article then proceeds to show what arguments there are for the views that Internet use will have positive, negative or irrelevant effects on the creation and maintenance of social capital. Finally - with the studied literature as the base – the article presents the authors' conclusions regarding the future of social capital in a world that will be increasingly influenced by modern technology and more specifically - the Internet. It was concluded that the effects of Internet today are predominantly positive and that there are no reasons for them to be any different in the future.

Social network as a space for social capital

2014

This paper examines the ways in which individuals invest in social capital online. It looks at the specific tactics that individuals undertake to increase their social capital with specific reference to the use of social network ‘Facebook’ groups. In literature review there are presented definitions of social capital, challenges such as decline of it and the boom of internet that affected social capital, and finally the most popular social network site ‘Facebook’ as a contemporary space for social capital online. The research analyses online community on ‘Facebook’ page called ‘What is Happening in Kaunas’ (original – Kas Vyksta Kaune). This research argues that social network site is a space where social capital can be evidenced.

Online Social Network Sites and Social Capital: A Case of Facebook

The present study is a theoretical and literary review of online social network sites and their impact on social capital. In this review, the Facebook is selected as one popular and important online social networking site in the world today. To This end, first two main concepts of social capital, bridging and bonding social capital has been provided. Next, the concept of online social networks and the impact of FB on social networks are discussed.

Online Components of Social Capital

Increasingly widespread online presence has significantly changed typical ways of contacting others and maintaining social connections. Traditionally, social capital has been described as a resource that lies in a person’s social connections, or – as a collective characteristic – social networks, which lead to reciprocity, solidarity and trust. The advent of social media fundamentally has challenged sociologists’ views on what the components of social capital are and how social ties build up networks and indicate the resources within an individual’s networks. I argue that for a better understanding of online social capital, we have to differentiate between two different types of online connections: connections based on mutual acquaintance and connections based on online activities. While the characteristics of network capital (defined as productive combinations of social connections, technology, and technological skills) can be found in both types of online connections, it is latent ties that are more characteristic of connections based on online activities.

Determining the indicators of social capital theory to social network sites

2014 3rd International Conference on User Science and Engineering (i-USEr), 2014

The authors theoretical research provided a framework to define and measure social capital in social network sites. This paper determining with a qualitative method the theoretical dimensions of this framework. The result of this paper is the explanation of social capital theory in social network sites under the consideration of the identified indicators. The sample for this case is students, and the research needs further confirmation by other samples and methods. But this paper gives a first interesting insight in social network sites explained with the social capital theory and provides a first guidance for further research projects.

Network Capital : an Expression of Social Capital in the Network Society

This article deals with an emerging type of social capital which is labeled as ‘network capital’. It is formed from collaborative practices emerging from e-enabled human networks. It is proposed that network capital is a specific type of social capital in the Network Society, and that it holds significant value for the advancement of human development around the world.

Understanding Formulation of Social Capital in Online Social Network Sites (SNS)

Online communities are the gatherings of like-minded people, brought together in cyberspace by shared interests. The shared interest has hidden social capital aspects and can be of bridging or bonding type .Creating such communities is not a big challenge but sustaining member's participation is. This study examines the formation and maintenance of social capital in social network sites. In addition to assessing bonding and bridging social capital, we explore a dimension of social capital that assesses one's ability to stay connected with members of a previously inhabited community, which we call maintained social capital. Such dimension is enacted here in terms of Hypothesis.

The determinants of social capital on facebook

STPS Working Paper Series, 2011

This paper investigates the effect of socioeconomic status, trust and privacy concerns, and socio psychological factors on building three structural measures of social capital, which are bridging, bonding and network size (degree). Using online survey data, I find the evidence that trust and privacy concerns, being a female, and the number of hours spent in Facebook are significant determinants of bridging social capital and degree. I show that females and respondents that have trust and privacy concerns are less likely to build bridging social capital. In addition to this, the number of hours spent on Facebook is positively related to the probability of engaging in bridging social capital. The results also suggest that females are less likely to increase their network size. On the other hand, respondents that spend more hours on Facebook and respondents that come from high-income class are more likely to increase their network size.

Realizing the Social Internet? Online Social Networking Meets Offline Social Capital

Does Internet use have the potential to build social capital? Emerging evidence suggests that politically knowledgeable, interpersonally trusting, and civically engaged individuals share particular patterns of Internet use. In previous national survey studies, Internet use has been divided into a handful of excessively broad categories, and researchers have been unable to address newer, category-spanning Internet uses as well as the potential impact of individual websites. By examining the use of online social networks in a nationally representative sample of young people, this study explores the varied relationships between indicators of social capital and Internet use on a site-specific level (i.e. Myspace vs. Facebook). Indeed, differences between social networking sites are as large as those between more global categories of use (e.g., informational vs. social networking) and are robust to attempts to account for differences between the users of the sites. In explaining these relationships and exploring the differences between social networking sites, we suggest that website use induces a site-specific culture that can either encourage or hinder social capital.

The Network Structure of Social Capital

this paper was supported by the Institute Europen d'Administration d'Affaires (INSEAD) and the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Portions of the material were presented in 1998 at a "Social Networks and Social Capital" conference organized by Nan Lin and Karen Cook at Duke University, and a "Economic and Organizational Sociology" conference organized by Mauro Guilln and Douglas Massey at the University of Pennsylvania, in 1999 at a "Local Standards and Global Standards in the Age of Multiculturalism" conference organized by Noriyoshi Shiraishi and Yuki Yasuda at Rikkyo University, and in 2000 at the annual Organization Science Winter Conference, Michigan State University, and the annual Sunbelt Social Network Conference. The text has been improved in response to comments from Ranu Capron, Joseph Galaskiewicz, Bruce Kogut, Edward Laumann, Michael Moore, Joel Podolny, William Starbuck, Robert Sutton, Brian Uzzi, and Yuki Yasuda. N...