Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-4-2013
Publication Title
Communication Quarterly
Abstract
With rapidly evolving technologies, boundaries between traditional modes of communication have blurred, creating an environment that scholars still describe from viewpoints as researchers in interpersonal, organizational or mass communication. This manuscript looks at the social capital literature and argues for conceptualizing “communication capital” to help understand the impact of communication phenomena in a changing environment. The literature has treated interpersonal communication variables as components of social capital and mass communication variables as factors affecting social capital, but scholars long ago recognized their reinforcing nature, leading us to develop a concept of communication capital merging symbolic activity across domains in its potential for impacting civic engagement, defined as persistent communication patterns that facilitate social problem solving in the community. Analysis of survey data shows that 4 dimensions of communication capital explain variance in civic engagement beyond that accounted for by traditional measures of social capital, media use, neighborhood communication, and efficacy.
DOI
10.1080/01463373.2013.806336
Version
Postprint
Publisher's Statement
This is an Author’s Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Communication Quarterly 11-04-2013, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/01463373.2013.806336
Recommended Citation
Jeffres, L. W., Jian, G., & Yoon, S. (2013). Conceptualizing communication capital for a changing environment. Communication Quarterly, 61(5), 539-563. doi:10.1080/01463373.2013.806336
Volume
61
Issue
5
Included in
Civic and Community Engagement Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons
