Lin and Facebook

Quotable
"It has been proposed that social capital, as an investment in social relations with an expected return in the marketplace, should be defined as resources embedded in a social structure that are accessed and/or mobilized in purposive actions. In this definition, three critical components present themselves for analyses: 1) the resources, 2) being embedded in a social structure, and 3) action" (Lin, 29)

Lin's Model applied to Facebook
1) resources - Your Friends (and their friends and their friends, etc) are your social capital.

"Members supposedly see the intrinsic value of a resource." (Lin, 30)

Having a lot of friends means something to members of Facebook, as you will see in the user interviews. This is why Facebook is friend-focused and promotes the idea of the extended network

2) embedded in a social structure - The site (what Lin would describes as a "social network.")

"Social networks represent a less formal social structure in that there is little or no formality in delineating positions and rules and in allocating authority to participates." (Lin, 38)

The lack of hierarchy in Facebook makes it less structured. However, resources are still embedded within the frame. Profiles are constantly being updated. New members are always being sought out. New groups arrive every day, etc.

3) action - Its use

"Individuals, like groups and organizations, gain and maintain valued resources in purposive action to gain additional resources."

Examples 1&2: The 501b group is centered on an apartment that has wonderful parties. Student groups use their personal lists to promote organization events. See Fall Ball Announcement.

(See Lin, p. 40 and 189 for charts)

Example 3: Who I know. "The saying 'It's not just what you know but who you know' suggests that social capital should provide benefits for an individual who acts for a purpose." (Lin, 41)

IM conversation:

friend: there's a new garrett?
jermainelandon: yeah. kinda sorta.
jermainelandon: i can't remember where he came from
friend: goes here?
jermainelandon: yup
friend: interesting
friend: cute?
jermainelandon: hold
jermainelandon: http://unc.thefacebook.com/profile.php?id=XXXXXX
friend: how much do i love the facebook?
jermainelandon: we all do

Assessment
The Facebook operates in ways similar to what Lin describes in Social Capital. You can see this in how Facebook continues to get more popular. People put themselves into this structure because they feel they have something to get out of it. And while it may just be an invite to a future party, resources are being exchanged and acted upon within the web space, making it a viable candidate for study when talking about virtual communities.