Understanding civic engagement behaviour on Facebook from a social capital theory perspective

TLDR

Research on civic behaviour on Facebook from a social capital perspective is limited despite evidence of its use for social issues. The study aims to investigate how social interaction ties, trust, and shared language and vision influence online civic engagement on Facebook. The authors model the relationships among structural, relational, and cognitive social capital dimensions, positing that interaction ties foster trust and shared language/vision, which in turn enhance trust. Data from 1,233 Facebook users confirm the proposed model, revealing motivations for online civic engagement and offering implications for theory, practice, and future research.

Abstract

This paper applies the social capital theory to construct a model for investigating the factors that influence online civic engagement behaviour on Facebook. While there is promising evidence that people are making concerted efforts to adopt Facebook to address social issues, research on their civic behaviour from a social capital viewpoint in the social media context remains limited. This study introduces new insights into how Facebook is shaping the landscape of civic engagement by examining three dimensions of social capital – social interaction ties (structural), trust (relational), and shared languages and vision (cognitive). The study contends that these dimensions will influence individuals' online civic engagement behaviour on Facebook. We also argue that social interaction ties can engender trust, and shared languages and vision among its members, and that shared languages and vision can increase trust among Facebook members. Empirical data collected from 1233 Facebook users provide support for the proposed model. The results help in identifying the motivation underlying the online civic engagement behaviour of individuals in a public virtual community. The implications for theory and practice and future research directions are discussed.