Bourdieu on Social Network Sites: The Communicative Function of Economical, Cultural and Social Capital of Images as Visual Frames in Facebook

• In Event: Analyzing the Visual Sphere of Social Networks: Functions, Effects, and Social Reflections of Images on Social Network Sites

Abstract

The work of Bourdieu (1986) remains highly relevant in the digital era. As virtual worlds function as an extension of the user’s offline environment, further elaboration of Bourdieu’s framework provides an insightful understanding of user’s needs and gains. Visual appearance is an especially important marker of social identity and status while acting online. Thus, we examine users’ expressions of economic, social and cultural capital within photographs uploaded on Facebook and the impressions they trigger in significant others.

Previous work has concentrated on Facebook’s use and effects on social capital (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2011). Indeed, social networking sites (SNS) provide a perfect stage to demonstrate the users’ economic, cultural and social capital, as its expression is stable, can be planned, controlled and modified in every detail. But, because users understand the possibilities for manipulation, they do not trust textual self-reports. However, photographs hold greater credibility and cannot be manipulated as easily as words, and they appear to show the capital a person possesses.

One promising approach to the explanation and analysis of potential effects of such images in SNS is the concept of visual framing characterized as process and/or strategy that visually highlights certain interpretation patterns and facilitates information processing (Entman, 1993; Coleman, 2010; Reese, 2001). Based on this, profile pictures in SNS should not only be used for intentional strategic self-representations, but should also visually frame the perception, interpretation and evaluation of information provided by others.

Our methodology involves a (A) preliminary study and (B) a qualitative survey. Study A was conducted to identify authentic photographic material that expressed economic, cultural and social capital. Pictures were chosen from Facebook (each author’s permission was obtained) and rated for their adequacy at expressing economic, cultural and social capital by an independent sample of 80 undergraduate students. Six photographs which best fulfilled the requirements were chosen to serve as stimulus material in the master study. In study B fifteen guided interviews were realized with a theoretically constructed student sample. Visual framing effects were explored, as well as ratings of the social attractiveness, presumptions and intentions the picture- posting user might have had. While photographs representing social capital lead to immediate positive evaluation and approval, visuals displaying economic capital are predominantly rejected. Photographs indicating cultural capital receive mixed ratings, depending on the raters’ predispositions.

The presentation will close by referring back to habitus as well and visual framing theory to discuss how the combination of these two established approaches can broaden the understanding of the communicative function of visuals in SNS.

Authors

• Julia Niemann, University of Hohenheim

• Stephanie Geise, U of Texas