Social Capital Mobilisation and E-advocacy: An Examination

Abstract

Several elements of social capital have existed under various names for decades, despite their novelty. Social capital has been traced in some authors to the Aristotelian era when men were considered a vital force for attaining shared interests. Sociologists, political scientists, economists and organisational thinkers have all applied the concept of social capital to find solutions to the many challenges they face in their respective fields. Today’s social, economic, and business organisations face perennial problems of asymmetric information, lousy governance, transaction costs, conflicting contractual obligations, distrust, and a lack of cooperation. Proponents of the social capital concept claim that it is beneficial for explaining or solving these problems. Digital advocacy can influence public perception or policy by bringing people together to achieve a common goal. In electronic advocacy, the policy can be influenced, awareness can be raised, perceptions can be changed, or specific actions can be demanded.   By incorporating virtual communities into real-world processes, opinions and concerns are expressed. This paper explains how e-advocacy can mobilise social capital to achieve multiple goals.