Social Capital and the Networked Public Sphere: Implications for Political Social Media Sites

Abstract

This paper presents a theoretical lens for research on social media use in eParticipation, along with an example case study. The idea of the public sphere and how it can be applied to eParticipation research is presented. The public sphere is discussed in relation to Cast ell's notion of the network society as the "networked public sphere", and social capital is introduced as a possible explanation for why some people choose to participate while others refrain from doing so. An example case is presented and analysed in terms of the public sphere and social capital. Finally, the argument is made that working public spheres, enacted through various online social media platforms, can contribute to increased social capital and increased political debate among citizens.