Social currency or social capital? | INFJ Forum

Social currency or social capital?

Lark

Rothchildian Agent
May 9, 2011
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Does anyone think about this or recognise this? I see social capital as connection which you could use for a variety of reasons, like business connections or that sort of thing, social currency I see as being a little different it is possessing something, which could be simply your personality traits, your communication skills and style etc., which means others are interested in you, do you agree with those definitions and have you any observations of the same?

It is something like popularity but I think discussing popularity and popularity contests smacks of college or high school social politics which most people are supposed to grow out of or progress beyond and if you fail to it actually will hold you back.
 
I think of social issues as often involving dynamics around power and control. Social currency is a similar concept. The problem with currency is that it leaves the option of exchange to the individual, and I don't really think that option exists. In other words, you couldn't really hoard social currency, right? Or am I misunderstanding?

If social exchange is not an option but a imperative, then every exchange must involve either the loss or gain of it, and I'm assuming other "things" might be "bought". is that what you mean? I'd like to explore that concept more.

For my concept, most things that occur in the social space involve power and control. There is an exchange, but it is more of a jostling to determine where each person fits in the structure, based on who has the most control of the situation. Also, I can see a gain/loss exchange, especially over time, like at your job. Make mistakes and you begin to lose social power, and usually that power goes to someone else, either because they do a better job or they offer something else like charisma, mystery (like if they are new, often the new kid gets a boost), or even just bring in donuts or something.

That's my take.
 
Perception is key. If someone is perceived to have social power, then they have social currency and can use it as social capital. This could be personality, EQ or SI. However those who are bartering or negotiating see the traits or qualities associated with advantage or power, gives that person social currency. However, if that person has this type of power and doesn't know they have it or doesn't know how to use it, then they miss out on benefitting from it's resourcefulness as social capital. But ethically speaking, if people start to feel or notice that they're only being used for their social capital, they may embrace it or pull away, unless they feel they are benefitting in return. So, the social exchange requires some kind of give and take or else it really isn't a realizable form of capital.
 
I disagree on the notion of social currency as traits and skills. Currency implies exchange to me. And traits or skills aren't exchanged in most social situations.

The personality traits and skills are knowledge capital.
Your contacts and networks are regular(?) capital.
Having higher knowledge capital allows you to more efficiently use your regular capital.

A form of exchange might happen in interaction. The currency would be acts of interaction. Verbal and non verbal language, actions or anything that sends a message.
The currency consists of information. When you send a message to the other you send information. The other sends information back. Thus there is some sort of exchange.
The issue here is that the information is not lost to the sender upon exchange. It's duplicated. So I'm not sure if I'd classify it as a real currency.
 
I think I agree with [MENTION=12103]Erlian[/MENTION] on this. I understand what you are saying, [MENTION=1669]pics[/MENTION], and I agree that the perception is key. I just don't think I can perceive it that way.