Daily Life of Non Profit Organisations Inhabiting the Web

What is on line daily life for non-profit organisations inhabiting the web really like? Do interactions transform into concrete opportunities for members and for communities of reference? These are the two questions that this paper will attempt to put forth and respond to. Our theoretical reference point is based on three main concepts: the widespread ‘relationality’, social capital and physical and virtual territories. Social capital is the combination of available relationships for an individual, an organisation, a territory. This occurs through a widespread element of relational nature and is positively correlated to social cohesion and to life opportunities. The notion of social capital has been observed and considered thus far in interactions and territories of ‘real’ daily life - off line. On the contrary, regardless of the fact that ‘relationality’ is one of the distinguishing factors of the web 2.0 definitions, studies whose objectives are production and significance of social capital in virtual contexts are still not well diffused. The aim of this paper is to understand if interactions of the non profit organisations, that represent one of the most appropriate places delegated to social production, really express themselves as widespread ‘relationality’ and social capital. The paper will illustrate the first results of a conducted exploration, using a mixture of both on and off line qualitative methods: observing participants on and off the web; conducting face-to-face and mail interviews; studying the web life of 6 non profit organisations, 3 belonging to a social sector and 3 to a cultural one.