A grounding in virtual communities by looking at what they are and how theories of social capital and network ties fit.

1. Virtual Communities, Social
Capital and Tie Theory
p y
or How You Can Be Friends With
People You’ll Never Physically Meet

2. Today…
T d
What is a virtual community?
Social capital - building networks, or an
‘inspiring metaphor’?
inspiring metaphor ?
Strong, Weak and Latent Ties
Macro to Micro - networked interpersonal
communication as social glue

3. virtual community
it l it
virtual communities need:
To be an aggregate of agents
In public - people can enter the conversation
To share a code
Time
Emotional investment
Howard Rh i
H d Rheingold
ld

4. social capital
i l it l
“the processes between people which
establish networks norms and social trust
networks,
and facilitate co-ordination and co-
operation for mutual benefit.”
Eva Cox (1992)

6. markers of social capital
k f i l it l
Horizontal rather than vertical social and
power relations
l ti
Low levels of explicit rules or controls
Ingrouping and Outgrouping
An obligation towards reciprocity
A tendency towards gift economies
Castle (2002)

7. Social capital?

8. Social Capital
The Show With Ze Frank, 21 Feb, 2007

9. strong and weak ties
t d k ti
Grew out of social capital research
(Granovetter)
(G tt )
More nuanced approach to social ties
Differentiated along four criteria
Time
Emotional intensity
Mutual confidence (trust)
Reciprocity
Bonding and Bridging ties

10. Close associate
strong and weak ties
t d k ti Distant associate
What kind of ties make a community?
y Weak tie
Strong tie
YOU
Amazing new
connection

11. identity d language
id tit and l
Different modes of communication when
linking to strong and weak ties
Part of community function: “exchanges
y g
need to utilize a shared code…”
Communication practice is influenced by
own identity, by community identity, by
history/experience, and b th nature of
hi t / i d by the t f
the bonds between participants
p p

12. virtual identity and group
y g p
communication
how we communicate changes depending
on who we communicate with
h i t ith
VC need a shared language
Work backwards: look at communication
to understand social position
Can we shape communication to foster
particular types of communities?

13. recap
VC have a history, and shared characteristics
Social
S i l capital i one explanation -- b t it h
it l is l ti but has
some problems
Tie theory is another explanation that raises
different questions
Communication pattern shifts reveal community
formation patterns
f ti tt
Communities affect individuals just as individuals
j
shape communities -- recursive relationship