Social Capital Definition

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The concept of social capital must be understood to be able to assess the impact of Facebook activity on users. The definitions of social capital with dimensions such as relationships, trust, reciprocity, and action for a common purpose are explained. The two basic forms of social capital are described. The effect of social capital within a community is examined. The relation of social capital on the indices of psychological well-being is discussed. Social capital is a complex construct with aspects such as civic engagement, interpersonal trust, and life satisfaction associated with social relations. Although there is no universally agreed definition of social capital, various social scientists have offered definitions that attempt to capture…show more content…
Social capital is “not a single entity, but a variety of different entities having two characteristics in common: They all consist of some aspect of social structure, and they facilitate certain actions of individuals who are within the structure.” Social capital becomes a productive resource by allowing the attainment of shared goals that are not achievable without it. Social capital has similar benefits with economic capital although it is less quantifiable. Unlike other forms of capital, social capital exists in the structure of relations between members and among members of the network. It does not lie either in the possessor himself or in physical instruments of production. Moreover, social capital is depleted from non-use rather than from utilizing it. Robert Putnam identifies social capital as the “features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit.” He distinguishes between two types of social capital: bonding social capital and bridging social capital. The division between bonding and bridging social capital is the most significant of all the dimensions along which forms of social capital differ. The distinction between the two types of social capital is based on the similarity or difference of the members of the particular network which contributes to social…show more content…
Overall Facebook activity is positively correlated with the two types of social capital, bonding social capital and bridging social capital, and negatively correlated with loneliness. This could be interpreted in different ways: “(1) people who feel more socially connected may gravitate toward technical systems that reify those connections, (2) using sites like Facebook allows people to reinforce fledgling and distant relationships, or (3) there is a positive feedback

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