The Potential of VMC Systems to Support Social Capital

Abstract

Video-mediated communication systems allow to communicate over distance and offer possibilities to build up or maintain social relationships. Such systems convey a variety of non-verbal cues (e.g., gestures or facial expressions), which support mutual understanding and can evoke the feeling of being close to the remote communication partner. The aim of my thesis is to investigate the potential of video-mediated communication systems to increase cohesion and identity of small groups and develop a sense of belongingness, i.e., support bonding forms of social capital. This will be done by investigating the interrelation between social presence and social capital in video-mediated communication.