<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<article article-type="research-article" xml:lang="en" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">global-journal-of-human-social-science-c-sociology-culture</journal-id>
<journal-title-group>
<journal-title>Global Journal of Human-Social Science - C: Sociology &amp; Culture</journal-title>
</journal-title-group>
<issn publication-format="print">0975-587X</issn>
<issn publication-format="electronic">2249-460X</issn>
<publisher><publisher-name>Global Journals Publishing Group Incorporated</publisher-name></publisher>
<self-uri xlink:href="https://globaljournals.org/journal-seo-export/jats/62324.xml" />
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">62324</article-id>
<title-group>
<article-title>The Long Arm of Facebook â€“ Social Media as a Tool for Survival in Informal Settlements</article-title>
<subtitle>Facebook as a Survival Tool in South Africa</subtitle>
</title-group>
<contrib-group>
<contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Leal</surname><given-names>Suzette</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1" />
</contrib>
</contrib-group>
<aff id="aff1">SOUTH AFRICA, University of Johannesburg.</aff>
<pub-date publication-format="electronic" date-type="pub" iso-8601-date="2024-01-12">
<day>12</day>
<month>01</month>
<year>2024</year>
</pub-date>
<volume>23</volume>
<issue>C7</issue>
<fpage>39</fpage>
<lpage>46</lpage>
<abstract><p>Facebook fulfils many functions. Users engage with this platform for a myriad of reasons, and these are well documented and researched. In white informal settlements in Gauteng, South Africa, residents are using Facebook for survival. In this qualitative study, participants in two white informal settlements share how they connect with donors (“sponsors”) through Facebook, and how their active Facebook “marketing” campaigns secure a steady stream of donations. This intersects the link between social capital and poverty, and it challenges the notion that “the poor” universally lacks bridging social capital -loose social ties with people in higher socio-economic brackets. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, participants explain how they use Facebook to increase their bridging social capital and to leverage their networks for the purpose of “getting by”.</p></abstract>
<self-uri content-type="pdf" xlink:href="https://globaljournals.org/GJHSS_Volume23/4-The-Long-Arm-of-Facebook.pdf" />
<self-uri content-type="html" xlink:href="https://globaljournals.org/scholarly-articles/the-long-arm-of-facebook-social-media-as-a-tool-for-survival-in-informal-settlements/" />
</article-meta>
</front>
<body>
<sec>
<title>Full Text</title>
<p>Facebook fulfils many functions. Users engage with this platform for a myriad of reasons, and these are well documented and researched. In white informal settlements in Gauteng, South Africa, residents are using Facebook for survival. In this qualitative study, participants in two white informal settlements share how they connect with donors (â€œsponsorsâ€) through Facebook, and how their active Facebook â€œmarketingâ€ campaigns secure a steady stream of donations. This intersects the link between social capital and poverty, and it challenges the notion that â€œthe poorâ€ universally lacks bridging social capital â€“ loose social ties with people in higher socio-economic brackets. Through in-depth, semistructured interviews, participants explain how they use Facebook to increase their bridging social capital and to leverage their networks for the purpose of â€œgetting byâ€.</p>
</sec>
</body>
</article>