E-social capital: building community through electronic networks

Despite the extensive rhetoric of governments, business and the not for profit sector regarding “community”, “community development” and “community well being”, there is little consensus about what “community” really means, let alone how it might be examined and assessed. Talking about electronic communities or online communities merely adds another layer of complexity to the issue. This paper sets out to examine some of the elements which make up community and communities, and assess the potential for new electronic media to contribute to the health and well being of social groups. We draw on the concept of social capital as a way of thinking about the complex interaction of elements which contribute to the functioning of communities, and explore some implications for the communities which occupy cyberspace. [Introduction]