What is ‘social capital’? The enormous positivity surrounding it conceals the instrumental economic rationality underpinning the notion as corporations silently sell consumer data for profit. Status chasing is just one aspect of a process of transforming qualitative aspects of social interactions into quantifiable metrics for easier processing, prediction, and behavioural shaping. A work of critical media studies, Social Capital Online examines the idea within the new ‘network spectacle’ of digital capitalism via the ideas of Marx, Veblen, Debord, Baudrillard and Deleuze. Explaining how such phenomena as online narcissism and aggression arise, Faucher offers a new theoretical understanding of how the spectacularisation of online activity perfectly aligns with the value system of neoliberalism and its data worship. Even so, at the centre of all, lie familiar ideas – alienation and accumulation – new conceptions of which he argues are vital for understanding today’s digital society.

This is an indispensable introduction to the topic which explains the theoretical underpinning of the subject, the empirical work that has been done to explore its operation and the effect that it has had on policy making."--Jacket.

What is 'social capital'? The enormous positivity surrounding it conceals the instrumental economic rationality underpinning the notion as corporations silently sell consumer data for profit. Status chasing is just one aspect of a process of transforming qualitative aspects of social interactions into quantifiable metrics for easier processing, prediction, and behavioural shaping. A work of critical media studies, Social Capital Online examines the idea within the new 'network spectacle' of digital capitalism via the ideas of Marx, Veblen, Debord, Baudrillard and Deleuze. Explaining how such phenomena as online narcissism and aggression arise, Faucher offers a new theoretical understanding of how the spectacularisation of online activity perfectly aligns with the value system of neoliberalism and its data worship. Even so, at the centre of all, lie familiar ideas - alienation and accumulation - new conceptions of which he argues are vital for understanding today's digital society.

Seminar paper from the year 2017 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1.0, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg (Business & Economics), course: Current Issues in Int. Management, language: English, abstract: Building and maintaining strong business relationships is highly valued by companies and can be achieved through proper use of Social Capital. Due to technological developments and the growth of social media and online networking sites, Social Capital is not only accumulated offline anymore. Moreover, the Internet established a new way of accruing Social Capital online by making use of new communication channels and thereby, enables managers to strengthen their ties within the business world. Not only business-to-business relationships but also business-to-customers relationships can be improved through Social Capital online. Not only big, well-established firms but also smaller firms and start-ups can benefit significantly from this less-costly way of building business relationships. In the following, it will be discussed how Social Capital can be accrued in the digital era and to what extend this can be beneficial to entrepreneurial firms.

Social networking sites have transformed traditional networking into a new form, prompting researchers to consider whether social capital accrues through online networking. This edited book, titled Social Capital in the Age of Online Networking: Genesis, Manifestations, and Implications, provides current and prospective theoretical and applied understandings of this newer source of investments. Edited by Dr. Najmul Hoda, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Administration at the College of Business, Umm Al-Qura University, this book is an ideal resource for scholars and practitioners interested in exploring the benefits of online social capital. The book is targeted towards academic scholars and is an excellent supplementary reading material for higher education institutions. It covers a range of topics such as social capital theory in online networking, empirical findings of online social capital formation, scales to measure online social capital, and online social capital and sustainable development. The book also explores the impact of technological innovations on online social capital and the applications of online social capital in business, society, and the economy. The book's objective is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current and prospective state of theory and applications of this phenomenon, and it will benefit researchers, government and private research institutions, business corporations, and students in various fields such as business, economics, information technology, psychology, medicine, and humanities.

Social capital is a principal concept across the social sciences and has readily entered into mainstream discourse. In short, it is popular. However, this popularity has taken its toll. Social capital suffers from a lack of consensus because of the varied ways it is measured, defined, and deployed by different researchers. It has been put to work in ways that stretch and confuse its conceptual value, blurring the lines between networks, trust, civic engagement, and any type of collaborative action. This clear and concise volume presents the diverse theoretical approaches of scholars from Marx, Coleman, and Bourdieu to Putnam, Fukuyama, and Lin, carefully analyzing their commonalities and differences. Joonmo Son categorizes this wealth of work according to whether its focus is on the necessary preconditions for social capital, its structural basis, or its production. He distinguishes between individual and collective social capital (from shared resources of a personal network to pooled assets of a whole society), and interrogates the practical impact social capital has had in various policy areas (from health to economic development). Social Capital will be of immense value to readers across the social sciences and practitioners in relevant fields seeking to understand this mercurial concept.

Providing practical recommendations for leveraging social capital for social good, this is a valuable, thought-provoking and timely exploration of the multifaceted concept of social capital in the context of the digital revolution.