The Notion of Social Capital and Practical Use of Facebook | W6 Q2 | Forum

When I read Junco (2011) and Ellison articles, I think Ellison, Steinfield and Lampe’s (2007) article resonated with me more. Even though I see the value in both arguments for these articles (in terms of the potential benefits and challenges of Facebook and Twitter in educational settings), I found Ellison et al.’s (2007) argument more compelling. The main reason for that they knitted their argument with more concrete conceptions and constructs. Their framework is more compelling. For instance, they (2007) used the notion of social capital to underline their point about the use of Facebook. They (2007) stated that “Social capital allows a person to draw on resources from other members of the networks to which he or she belongs. These resources can take the form of useful information, personal relationships, or the capacity to organize groups. Moreover, social capital researchers have found that various forms of social capital, including ties with friends and neighbors, are related to indices of psychological well-being, such as self-esteem and satisfaction with life” (p. 1145). This view aligns with my view of learning which reflects building relationship with the members of community, being an active participant in different learning settings, and keeping ties with the social and cultural roots in the learning and interaction environment. I think that building a social capital via use of Facebook supports the formation of relationships and identity construction of the learners. In that sense, their depictions about the importance of their work was compelling for me.

I think they also did a nice job while reflecting the practical impacts of their findings. They suggested that SNSs can help students to build and maintain relationships with their community. For instance, when they graduate from college, their alumni network keeps their school email and by using Facebook, they would have strong connections and that could have strong payoffs in terms of job market, internships, and other opportunities (p. 1164). Such implications are compelling and relevant for most of the students from higher education context.