Sexism, Social Capital, and the Spiral of Silence Online

• In Event: Social Capital and Social Media

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between social capital and the spiral of silence on two social network sites (SNSs), Facebook and Reddit, by exposing participants to sexist or neutral memes and comparing their positive responses to posts about women’s issues post-exposure. The results suggest Facebook users perceive more bonding social capital than Reddit users, and Reddit users perceive more bridging social capital than Facebook users. In addition, Facebook and Reddit use were indirectly associated with users’ willingness to positively respond to women’s issues posts through the bridging and bonding social capital users perceived. Bonding social capital was not associated with Facebook or Reddit intensity, but Facebook and Reddit intensity were indirectly related to willingness to respond positively to women’s issues through bridging social capital. The relationship between bridging social capital and willingness to respond positively to women’s issues posts was stronger for experimental participants compared to control participants, but only for Reddit users.

Author

• Hilary Gamble, University of Arizona