Relationship Between Facebook Usage and Social Capital

Relationship Between Facebook Usage and Social Capital1. IntroductionThe purpose of this enquiry is to investigate the recent phenomenon known as well-disposed ne bothrks, and in particular the social networks associated with the World Wide Web and their impact on the social welfare (also known as social capital) of people. This topic is of particular rice beer to the enquiryer because of the increasing importance and span of the online social network sites. Thus understanding how they impact society in general. The scope of the question leave behind be The Facebook the biggest at this time online social network. The reason for the topic is the increase of the website in our lives and the many disputations whether it has positive or negative impact on its users. Therefore up to(predicate) search regarding key concepts and connections betwixt The Facebook and social capital would benefit anyone who is interested in online social networks and their influence over societies. Bef ore continuing with the look into it is most-valuable to introduce key concepts and definitions which is to make easier for the reader to understand the matters at make pass.1.1 Key DefinitionsAsocial networkis asocial structuremade up of individuals (or organizations) called nodes, which are tied (connected) by one or more specific types ofinterdependency, frequently(prenominal) asfriendship,kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike,sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge orprestige. As in almost everything in present days, the internet influences the social networks. A good example of that is the created in 2004 online social networkThe Facebook. By 2007 it was account to drop more than 21 million registered members generating 1.6 billion page views each day (Needham Company, 2007). The site is closely incorporated into the everyday media practices of its users Ordinary users spend or so 20 minutes a day on the site, and two-thirds of user s log in at least once a day (Cassidy, 2006 Needham Company, 2007).1.2 Aims and ObjectivesThe aim of this research is to assay the relationship between the use of Facebook, and the development and preservation of social capital both bonding and bridging.Its objective is to determine whether online social networks and in particular The facebook have positive or negative impact on societies.1.3 Key Research QuestionsIs Facebook positively connected with individuals who perceive bridging social capital?Will Facebook intensity be positively associated with people who perceive bonding social capital?Is Facebook helping people with face to face communication difficulties?Facebook Survey Pie ChartThe remainder of the research is organized as follows partitioning 2 reviews conceptual development and theories of the research questions. Section 3 reviews the research methods and how they address the questions and how the data will be compile. Section 4 shows the research plan vie diagram , displaying the different activities involved in producing the actual work and how they will happen in time. Section 5 concludes the research proposal by highlighting the importance of the research questions and their connection with the different theories. Section 6 is the bibliography and reference apply for the research.2. Literature ReviewPrevious research suggests that Facebook users engage in searching for people with whom they have an offline connection more than they browse for complete strangers to meet (Lampe, Ellison, Steinfield, 2006). Much of the early research on online communities speculate that individuals using these systems would be linking with others extinctside their pre-existing social group or location, liberating them to form communities around mutual interests, as opposed to shared geography (Garton, Guila Haythornthaite, Dimitrova, Salaff, Wellman 1996). A benchmark of this early research is the assurance that when online and offline social networks overlapped, the directionality wasonline to offlineonline connections resulted in face-to-face meetings. For example Parks and Floyd (1996) report, that one-third of their respondents later met their online correspondents offline. As they mark, These findings imply that relationships that attempt online rarely stay there.Much of the existing academic research on Facebook has focused on identity presentation and privacy (e.g., Gross Acquisti, 2005 Stutzman, 2006). Looking at the amount of data Facebook users present close to themselves, the fairly open nature of the information, and the lack of privacy controls enacted by the users, Gross and Acquisti (2005) argue that users whitethorn be position themselves at exposure both offline (e.g., stalking) and online (e.g., identify theft). Other recent Facebook study examines student perceptions of instructor presence and self-disclosure (Hewitt Forte, 2006 Mazer, Murphy, Simonds, 2007), sequential patterns of use (Golder, Wilkinson, Huberman, 2007), and the relationship between compose structure and friendship communication (Lampe, Ellison, Steinfield, 2007).Putnam (2000) distinguishes between bridging and bonding social capital. The former is tie in to what network researchers refer to as weak ties, which are loose connections between persons who may provide useful information or fresh perspectives for one a nonher but on average not emotional support (Granovetter, 1982). On the other hand, bonding social capital is found between individuals in tightly-knit, emotionally close relationships, such as family and close friends.Social capital in the main refers to the assets accumulated through the relationships between people (Coleman, 1988). Social capital is a flexible term with a range of definitions in numerous fields (Adler Kwon, 2002), conceived of as both a cause and an effect (Resnick, 2001 Williams, 2006). Bourdieu and Wacquant (1992) define social capital as the sum of the resources, actual or vir tual, that accrue to an individual or a group by virtue of possessing a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition (p. 14). The assets from these relationships can hesitate in form and function based on the relationships themselves.Social capital has been link to a diversity of positive social outcomes, such as check public health, lower crime rates, and more resourceful financial markets (Adler Kwon, 2002). According to numerous instruments of social capital, this important resource has been deteriorating in the U.S. for the past several geezerhood (Putnam, 2000). When social capital declines, a community experiences augmented social disorder, reduced involvement in public activities, and potentially more mistrust among society members. great social capital increases commitment to a community and the ability to organize collective actions, among other benefits. Social capital may also be used for harmful purposes, bu t in general it is seen as a positive effect of interaction among participants in a social network (Helliwell Putnam, 2004).The Internet has been linked both to increases and decreases in social capital. Nie (2001), for instance, argued that Internet use detracts from face-to-face time with others, which might weaken an individuals social capital. However, this viewpoint has received strong criticism (Bargh McKenna, 2004). Furthermore, a number of researchers have claimed that online connections may add to or replace in-person interactions, mitigating any loss from time spent online (Wellman, Haase, Witte, Hampton, 2001). In fact, studies of physical (e.g., geographical) communities supported by online networks, such as the Blacksburg Electronic Village, have found out that computer-mediated interactions have had constructive effects on community relations, involvement, and social capital (Hampton Wellman, 2003 Kavanaugh, Carroll, Rosson, Zin, Reese, 2005).Lately, researchers h ave show the significance of Online-based linkages for the formation of weak ties, which provide the foundations of bridging social capital. Donath and boyd (2004) theorize that SNSs (Social Network Services) could to a great extent add to the weak ties one could form and maintain, because the applied science is well-suited to maintaining such ties inexpensively and effortlessly.Based on the earlier work, one could suggest the following assumptionConcentration of Facebook use should be positively connected with individuals sensed bridging social capital. It is obvious that the Internet facilitates new connections, in that it provides people with another way to connect with others who share their interests or relationship goals (Ellison, Heino, Gibbs, 2006 Horrigan, 2002 Parks Floyd, 1996). These new connections may cause an increase in social capital for example, a 2006 Pew Internet study tumbled that online users are more likely to have a large network of close ties than non -Internet users, and that Internet users are more likely than non-users to obtain help from core network members (Boase, Horrigan, Wellman, Rainie, 2006). Williams (2006) argues that even though researchers have examined possible dilapidations of social capital in offline communities due to greater Internet use, they have not effectively explored online gains that could compensate for this. For that reason it could be proposed a second assumption on the relationship between Facebook use and close tiesConcentration of Facebook use should be positively related with individuals perceived bonding social capital.3. MethodologyThe ontology of this research is such as although Facebook is virtual and without material component, one can view and describe it as a real object, because it can be used, felt and its existence proved. succor is the epistemology, for which the objective perspective is used, because Facebook is seen as separate entity from the individual user. The environment i s constant, thus the result is that the individuals profile is what changes according to the virtual surrounding. This perspective makes it easier for marketers to analyse the user behaviour and give firms the opportunity to efficiently advertise and sell their products for maximizing profits. To provide evidence that the research findings are indeed correct, the positivist assumption will be used, because it is better and more accurate way of describing the topic, giving exact data for the research. An example of bad secondary coil date is the following pie charthttp//media.brainz.org/uploads/2009/02/facebook.pngFor the purpose of the research a comparison of the terms primary and secondary data is needed, so one can see why the author of the research chooses the second. Primary data is collected to be up to date and topic specific. This in no doubt leads to better and more accurate results. The big downfall of this method is its time consuming nature and the fact it is really ex pensive. On the other hand Secondary data is identified by Saunders et al (2003) as data previously collected, stored or published. The big plus of secondary data is that it is already published, analysed, structured and is reviewed by other professors and academics, who already evaluated it. There are two types of secondary data identified by Saunders et al (2003). These are qualitative and numerical data. The qualitative data is usually analyses and text-like definitions whereas quantitative data is usually related to statistics and numbers. A good source of quantitative secondary data is census, housing, social security as well as electoral statistics and other related databases. It is hardly this type of data, that would be best to use in this research as it is easier, cheaper and less time consuming to obtain, while relatively reliable and least, but not last, by using secondary data it is easier to avoid privacy problems with the people the information was gathered from. As every method, secondary data has its disadvantages, which in this miscue are that the data may be collected for a different from the researchers aim and thus it can be distorted. The access to slightly secondary data sources can be costly and difficult. Furthermore it is proved that one has no real control over the quality and reliability of the secondary data at all. (Saunders, M. Et al. 2003) For that reason when collecting the secondary data it is vital to measure its validity and whether it meets the researchers needs. There is always bias in the data, so it is important to find as many sources as possible to minimise the bias. (Saunders, M. Et al. 2003).For this exact research the secondary data will be collected from analysed written surveys, questionnaires, telephone surveys, observation focus groups and existing records. Each of those has their own pros and cons in terms of how much qualitative data can be extracted out of them. It is clear that written surveys with determ ined scales will give more pure numbers and thus make the descriptive statistics analysis easier. On the other hand processing telephone surveys and observation focus groups would be harder and more time consuming. But as stated above one need as much data sources as possible to fully analyse and give reliable and non biased answer on a topic as large as the impact of the largest online social network Facebook on its users.4. Research planStep one writing the propositionStep two make a research on the possible resources available and making a list of the most useful sources.Step three Following the proposition methods, mine the needed quantitative data from the resources.Step four Analyse and process the raw quantitative mined data via descriptive statistics analysis and the qualitative data analysis.Step 5 Summaries the data found from the previous steps and based on it start writing the actual dissertation.Step six Review the Reference and bibliography carefully and keep it.Ste p seven Give the semi-finished dissertation to the advisor for ideas of improvement.Step eight Improve and polish the dissertation and then wrap it up for submission.http//thomaslarock.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/datamining.jpghttp//www.42u.com/images/data-center-resources.jpghttp//howtowriteathesis.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/writingabook.jpghttp//lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/classic-motoring/Flex3401VRGCarPolisher.jpg-1 -2- -3-http//www.whole-person-counseling.com/Images/bookstack.gifhttp//onetick.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/innovation_1.jpg?w=640http//images.huffingtonpost.com/2008-11-17-2Advisor.GIF-4--5- -6- -7- -8-5. ConclusionWith the data that could be gathered using the models described above, one will have a more in-depth, reliable and useful information about the actual benefits and drawbacks Facebook gives in terms of social and bonding capital. It will be seen whether the theories suggesting Facebook helps people with face communication difficulties are indeed true. In general, conducting this research will provide data that is important for understanding the ever-growing online social networks and how to cultivate them to bring maximum benefits, not only for socialization, but for businesses, education, helping people overcome socializing problems and improving our lives in general.http//www.neurosoftware.ro/programming-blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/521f7_facebook_like_button.jpg