Theme 1

Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (I.F 2,172) is an online journal focusing on the world of social sciences research concerning, as the name states, computer-mediated communication. This includes articles in the fields of communication, education, sociology and media studies amongst other.


From this journal I acquired an interesting research article concerning facebook use versus social capital, namely The Benefits of Facebook “Friends:” Social Capital and College Students’ (I.F 2,032) by authors Nicole B. Ellison et al (2007).  




The study was conducted using a target group of random Michigan State University undergraduate students. It is important to understand the definition of social capital refered to and what kinds of social capital is reflected upon. Social capital counts for resources, whether real or virtual, aquired from connections and in this article we find the types of social capital called bonding-, bridging- and maintained social capital. I.e. bonding social capital as in concerning strong connections between people as family and close friends, bridging as in regarding loose connections between acquaintances and maintained social capital that in a way measures the ability to maintain these connections or contacts.


The result of the study concluded that increasing use of Facebook was connected to increased social capital, most of all using Facebook gained users a higher amount of social capital amongst loose connections as known as bridging social capital. The ability to maintain connections between people is related to amount of Facebook usage, more time spent on Facebook equals stronger ability to maintain contact.


My biggest concern regarding the article is that the target group involved is quite restricted in size and that the research method could have given a more thorough answer by studying the participants usage of Facebook in focus croups supplemented with the survey instead of just giving a survey.


Q&A theme 1

1. Sense-data is information gained through the instant sensation of an object, in other words Russell argues that sense-data is a collection of parameters derived from the senses like sense of vision, smell, hearing, touch and taste among other and that the sense-data is depending on the person experiencing the sensation of it. Sense-data is only the sensation of for example a color and not the color itself.
2. Russell defines a proposition as when an object or subject has a certain property and is the only one with this unique property. The easiest way of understanding this is with an example, 'Batman is the hero from Gotham City dressed in a bat costume' is a proposition which in extension means that Batman is a hero from Gotham City dressed in a bat costume and none other is because this is a unique property. The term statement of fact corresponds to a description involving a particular and not directly the particular itself. Russell brings up the example of Julius Caesar, where a statement of fact about Caesar can be "Julius Caesar was the founder of the Roman empire". This statement is something about Julius Caesar we are acquainted with i.e know fact about but don't know personally.
3. The notion definite description refers to a pointed description, that is a description of something determined and unique. An example of this is "Buffy the vampire slayer" as opposed to an ambiguous description "A vampire slayer" who could be anyone.  
4. Concerning the theory of knowledge Russell discusses if we, at all, know anything or if this knowledge is just probable opinions. He argues that a group of probable opinions in coherence is more likely to be a certain fact than a single probable opinion by itself.