weblogistan
Online Social Capital?
This week’s featured article from Arseh Sevom’s Civil Society Zine is Christina Ashtary’s piece examining the development of social capital in politically restrictive environments. Can trust be developed between individuals who meet online? By now, most of us
Creating Social Capital in Politically Restrictive Environments: The Virtual Sphere and Iran’s Weblogistan
Can civic engagement in the virtual sphere allow repressed societies to create social capital equivalent to that seen in the open, democratic physical sphere?
Creating Social Capital in Politically Restrictive Environments
To preserve power and political stability, many repressive regimes have taken measures to prohibit extensive civic engagement and bar the development of a free, civil society. In cases where engagement in the physical public sphere may be limited, a rise in vi