Abstract
Little is known and understood about social media and social capital in urban informal settlements. Moreover, white informal settlements are anomalous in South Africa – hidden and understudied in a country where wealth distribution is skewed in favour of the minority white population. Limited information is available on these impoverished white communities. In fact, even their physical locations mostly remain officially undocumented. This does not suggest or imply, however, that the residents of white informal settlements are silent or disconnected from the world outside their immediate communities. This study addresses a void in the body of knowledge available on social media and social capital in white informal settlements in South Africa. This doctoral study explores the role and impact of social media in five white informal settlements in Gauteng – South Africa’s financial capital and most densely populated province. Through in-depth interviews, the researcher learned that Facebook and WhatsApp are enormously popular among the study’s participants. They use these platforms to connect with others (some who are previously known to them and others who are part of shared-interest groups), for emotional support, for important information about their immediate environment, and, perhaps most remarkably, to survive. Facebook itself has emerged as a powerful fundraising tool for participants bridging a divide between themselves, who are in need, and those who are willing and able to donate and provide aid (“sponsors”). In this regard, Facebook and WhatsApp groups have rendered themselves essential platforms to source food, clothing, furniture and other necessities...
Ph.D. (Communication Studies)