Research Article

The Digitalisation of Social Capital: “Conspicuous Consumption on Instagram”

Number: 39 December 30, 2023
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The Digitalisation of Social Capital: “Conspicuous Consumption on Instagram”

Abstract

Jean Baudrillard states, the theoretical equivalence of body and objects as signs is actually, ‘buy; you will be at peace with yourself’(Baudrillard, 2014). Baudrillard’s phrase ‘buy, and you will be at ease in your body’ has given way to ‘buy and share, you will be at ease in your body’. This research aims to investigate whether displaying purchased luxury goods on Instagram is a type of conspicuous consumption (Veblen, 1899) that may structure a new form of social capital and reputation capital as suggested by Pierre Bourdieu. We argue that this new form of social capital is a digital capital that serves to shape a contemporary reputation capital. The study involves 354 social media users and the data were gathered through an online survey. Our findings reveal that there is insufficient evidence of a relationship between high reputation capital and high social status; however, the aforementioned consumption type depicts reputation capital as a contemporary method of social capital.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Communication Studies

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Raziye Nevzat *
0000-0002-2469-1411
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti

Süleyman Rebge
0009-0002-7336-9231
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti

Çise Miş
0000-0003-3981-3247
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti

Zeki Aykol
0000-0003-0321-594X
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti

Aliyu Awwal
0009-0001-7967-5523
Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti

Publication Date

December 30, 2023

Submission Date

March 30, 2023

Acceptance Date

December 25, 2023

Published in Issue

Year 2023 Number: 39

APA
Nevzat, R., Rebge, S., Miş, Ç., Aykol, Z., & Awwal, A. (2023). The Digitalisation of Social Capital: “Conspicuous Consumption on Instagram”. Galatasaray Üniversitesi İletişim Dergisi, 39, 85-112. https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.1274165

Cited By

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