Measuring Digital Capital: Methodological Approaches

Abstract

The relevance of this study is determined by the ongoing digital transformation of Russian society. The formation and accumulation of digital capital influences the effectiveness of social actors and is a way to overcome social inequality. Researchers are actively engaged in investigating the phenomenon of digital capital and in developing models and methods for its measurement. The purpose of this article was to study methodological approaches to measuring the level of digital capital and to conceptualizing the idea itself. The main methodological foundations of the work were the theory of the information society, the concept of the digital economy, the theory of social capital (Bourdieu), the theory of digital capital (Ragnedda), the theory of digital capitalism (Fuchs), and the theory of digital inequality (digital divide). Theoretical sources were analyzed in this empirical analysis. In modern science, there is no common concept of digital capital and there are numerous possibilities for its measurement and impact on the digital divide. This article discusses the main theoretical approaches to measuring digital capital based on basic theories. Existing methods for measuring digital capital were analyzed, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods were identified.