Social network sites : the use of Facebook towards resource attainment.

Abstract

This paper works on applying interactionist, structuralist and social network theories to understand the role of Social Network Sites (SNSes) in capital conversion and eventually resource attainment in today’s highly technologically-advanced society. Participants in the study were undergraduates from a Hall of Residence in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. The set of circumstances involving this was set in the Hall’s Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC) Elections where candidates campaigned to get elected into office. Through Facebook, the candidates who were successfully voted in, and the voters, were separately interviewed to understand how they each made sense of activities within the popular SNS. Results showed that Facebook was an useful platform on which candidates could build and expand networks, as well as form images of themselves to others on an influential avenue where voters could conveniently access, eventually allowing for the achievement of their aims to get elected.