the internet and politics agenda for today reminder: prepare for lab class what is “social...

The Internet and Politics

Agenda for Today• reminder: prepare for lab class

• What is “social capital”?

• Social capital and political participation

• CMC and social capital

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What is social capital? connections among individuals

networks of social connectedness

generalized reciprocity

trust

bridging vs bonding

schmoozers vs machers

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Effects of social capital economic performance

political participation

civic pride

crime

health

happiness

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Erosion of social capital T.V.

generational effects

time and money pressures, two-career families

suburbanization, commuting, sprawl

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Future of social capital “civic inventiveness”

interaction with neighbours

public space

cultural activity

government leadership

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Social capital and participation broader context

causal: relationship to other forms of

participation

effect: larger than democratic legitimacy

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CMC & social capital concerns about CMC’s social impact

hopes expressed for CMC

conditions that shape impact of CMC

different assessments of CMC’s impact

research issues

my own assessment of CMC & social capital

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CMC’s social impact CMC displacing real life

online interaction poorer than real life

lack of true plublic space

new dangers

CMC compounds existing problems

reinforces existing divisions

class, gender

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Hopes for CMC online community as remedy for erosion

of social capital

postmodern identity experimentation

online approximation of real life

interplay between on- and off-line

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Conditions shaping CMC social context of CMC

specific technologies used

users of CMC

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Assessments of CMC Net cynics: CMC erodes community

Net optimists: focus on hopes

Net equivocators: both good and bad

Net agnostics: future still unclear

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Research issues current Net demographics

looking where the light is

assessing postmodernism

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Conclusions information exchange as basis for engagement

embedding CMC I.R.L.

applying real life lessons

CMC vs TV

technological solutions

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Discussion