The Role of Media Usage on Building Social Capital: Multiculturalism in Korea Case

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the use of mass media by immigrant women in Korea and their capacity to form and build social capital, centering on their use of media such as; television, newspapers and the Internet. To achieve this research goal, the concept of social capital was reviewed and the relationship between trust, civic engagement and socio-political participation, which are components of social capital, were investigated. The study (n=335) measured the effects of consuming major media types on the formation of social capital within the sample population and identified the relationship between generic consumption patterns associated with individual media and the formation of social capital. In addition, this paper sheds light on the notion that a person’s socio-demographic background affects the formation and building of social capital and that trust and civic engagement affects socio-political participation.