Purpose: To have students explore reactions to differently gendered avatars
Tools: Computer, Internet Access, Second Life (available as a free download)
Time: 2-4 hours online plus time for journaling
Phase I
The primary goal of this assignment is to allow students to explore Second Life with avatars configured to represent various genders. The student will need to obtain a Second Life account (available for free) and then create his or her first avatar. How that avatar is sexed/gendered is completely up to the student, but care should be taken to craft an avatar that is clearly male or female. Usually body shape is enough to adequately code male or female. Once an avatar is ready, the student should feel free to explore Second Life and interact with its many denizens. After this exploration is complete, the student should record his or her experiences in a journal to be submitted to the instructor.
Phase II
After the initial reactions are recorded, the student should alter the appearance of the avatar to denote the opposite sex/gender. Once completed, the student can once again explore Second Life and look for reactions. It is best to visit a new area of Second Life so that the chance of meeting a prior acquaintance is reduced since the avatar’s name will not change. Again, the student should record his or her findings in a journal.
Phase III
The last phase will repeat Phase II, but a gender non-specific avatar needs to be crafted. Mixing visual codes helps (play with body shape, hair length, etc.). Findings should be recorded in the student’s journal.
Additional Activities
Students should write at least one more journal entry that discusses the different types of reactions found including how the student felt posing in the avatar’s many forms. For a longer assignment, the student can write a comparison and contrast paper that expands on his/her experiences and uses sources to help frame the essay.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Feminist Film Theory and Video Games
Lately I have been reading up on feminist film theory and thinking about how I can apply it to my research on video games. So here goes. Please bear with me as I try to make sense of what I am attempting to articulate.
One of the most important theorists in this field is Laura Mulvey who wrote an article in the 1970s entitled Visual Please and Narrative Cinema. In this article, she uses psychoanalysis to examine films and talks quite a bit about how early Hollywood films centered on the male gaze which asserts that the viewer is looking through the eyes of the male and women are merely objects to be consumed by the gaze. Mulvey has received criticism for this view since it has no place for a female gaze which would consume the male body as object. Obviously, film has changed much over the last 30 years, but I think her views have some merit when it comes to video games. Please understand that I have merely scratched the surface of this topic and hope to more informed posts down the line.
In my view, Mulvey's theory can easily be applied to video games. If you consider that in the vast majority of first-person shooters such as Doom, Quake, etc., the player is forced into the viewpoint of a male protagonist. There is no other choice. Yes, there are games such as Tomb Raider that break the mold, but isn't Lara Croft an object to be consumed by the male gaze as well? This is certainly fitting since the Tomb Raider games use a third-person perspective whereas the player can see both Lara and the action taking place.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas works in a similar fashion. Women are objects to be consumed either as prostitutes or as average citizens on the street who are there to be beaten and robbed. Their only worth is the money they might have once beaten to death. Violence is a way to solve problems in a male-dominated (and virtual) world. This is what I plan to write about for Dr. G's class. Any input or advice is appreciated. Signing off for tonight.
One of the most important theorists in this field is Laura Mulvey who wrote an article in the 1970s entitled Visual Please and Narrative Cinema. In this article, she uses psychoanalysis to examine films and talks quite a bit about how early Hollywood films centered on the male gaze which asserts that the viewer is looking through the eyes of the male and women are merely objects to be consumed by the gaze. Mulvey has received criticism for this view since it has no place for a female gaze which would consume the male body as object. Obviously, film has changed much over the last 30 years, but I think her views have some merit when it comes to video games. Please understand that I have merely scratched the surface of this topic and hope to more informed posts down the line.
In my view, Mulvey's theory can easily be applied to video games. If you consider that in the vast majority of first-person shooters such as Doom, Quake, etc., the player is forced into the viewpoint of a male protagonist. There is no other choice. Yes, there are games such as Tomb Raider that break the mold, but isn't Lara Croft an object to be consumed by the male gaze as well? This is certainly fitting since the Tomb Raider games use a third-person perspective whereas the player can see both Lara and the action taking place.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas works in a similar fashion. Women are objects to be consumed either as prostitutes or as average citizens on the street who are there to be beaten and robbed. Their only worth is the money they might have once beaten to death. Violence is a way to solve problems in a male-dominated (and virtual) world. This is what I plan to write about for Dr. G's class. Any input or advice is appreciated. Signing off for tonight.
More Adventures in Second Life
Okay - Last night and today were weird. Not only did I seemingly have an influence on the gender changing of a SL avatar, but I was part and parcel to a couple of additionally strange incidents. Today I ventured to a few new areas. I was on another beach when I noticed a rather nice yacht. I stepped aboard and looked around a bit. Upon entering the main cabin, I ran into male and female avatar and was asked my the male if I was interested in a threesome. Before I could answer, the female walked away. Within seconds, the male was yelling at me to leave. Evidently, his girlfriend was none to happy with him and his suggestion. It would be really interesting to know if they are a couple in real life. If so, he is probably in a living hell right now for his transgression. RL seemingly spilled over into SL and vice versa.
After I left the yacht, I took a stroll along the beach and came upon a couple floating on a raft near the shore. I stopped to look around and was close enough to catch their chat. The male asked his female friend if that was a guy in a bikini. Several snide comments were made and they obviously referred to my avatar since I was the only one near. First, I don't think that NL looks like a guy, but you can judge for yourself. Second, their reaction to what was perceived as a violation of the gender restrictions was quite humorous. There was no conception available to them of the possibility that a male might wear a bikini. Their comments at once marginalized me and protected their view of the world - even a virtual world like SL. Reminded me of Sloop and Butler. I wonder what would have happened if I had approached them. I'll have to try that sometime if this ever happens again. Perhaps I should create a male avatar and dress him in a bikini. That might be fun!
After I left the yacht, I took a stroll along the beach and came upon a couple floating on a raft near the shore. I stopped to look around and was close enough to catch their chat. The male asked his female friend if that was a guy in a bikini. Several snide comments were made and they obviously referred to my avatar since I was the only one near. First, I don't think that NL looks like a guy, but you can judge for yourself. Second, their reaction to what was perceived as a violation of the gender restrictions was quite humorous. There was no conception available to them of the possibility that a male might wear a bikini. Their comments at once marginalized me and protected their view of the world - even a virtual world like SL. Reminded me of Sloop and Butler. I wonder what would have happened if I had approached them. I'll have to try that sometime if this ever happens again. Perhaps I should create a male avatar and dress him in a bikini. That might be fun!
Who was He/She? or How I Caused an Avatar to Change Gender in Second Life
So I decided to go to the beach today and see what happened when I interacted with other avatars. It didn't take long for someone to approach me given I was walking around as a female in a barely-there bikini. The person, who shall be known as Paolo, identified himself as a 23-year old male from Brazil. He asked where I was from to which I honestly replied Ohio. Within the first few minutes of chat he asked if he could kiss me. I replied that we had just met and perhaps he should get to know me before making such advances. :) At least I didn't tell him I was saving myself for marriage! He seemed okay with my mild-mannered rejection and asked if we could walk. So we walked and eventually ended at the hot tub on the island. We both got in and he decided to edit his appearance, evidently trying to create a swim suit on the fly. Just as it seemed that he was finished, he moved away from the hot tub and continued to edit his appearance.
After waiting a few minutes (and getting propositioned by a male avatar with an erect penis), I went over to sunbathe by the pool. Hey - why not earn a couple of dollars while waiting! I could see Paolo in the distance still editing his appearance, but I couldn't tell what changes he was making. I even sent an IM but got no response. Eventually, I sauntered over to Paolo and to my surprise, he had sprouted breasts! I made some comment that he certainly had changed, but still received no reply. And I thought there had been a connection. :(
Anyway, I know for sure now that you can never tell gender in SL. But I have to wonder...did my refusal to make avatar contact have anything to do with his gender switching? Had I caused him to question whether or not my avatar was truly female since I had not leaped into his arms right away and thus led him to consider making him/herself female? Who knows? It was certainly an interesting experience and I am still trying to decide if I should feel rejected in RL because my avatar had been rejected in SL. Hmmmm.
Since last night, I have been attempting to relate my readings to my continued experiences in SL. I had two chapters - one by Code and the other by Collins. The latter was certainly more interesting and accessible. Collins work focused on the concept of family and how that concept related intersectionally to gender, race, class, and nation. Part of her argument is that power relations that exist in the ideal family (men in power, women subordinate, etc...) reflect themselves at other levels such as race and nation. I can certainly see this played out in SL, but I don't think it is as absolute as in RL. The fact that one can switch gender lets any person assume the role they wish, thus turning the tables.
In addition, the phallus is so overwhelmingly evident in SL (see above). One can certainly see how such a focus is a symbol of male power. People with avatars sporting such appendages certainly seem to think that it makes them the envy of all female avatars. I have witnessed these characters strutting around asking every female avatar in sight to have some type of sexual interaction. It's as if they are saying, "Hey! Look at my huge, erect penis. You must want to be with a man like me!" I haven't seen enough interactions between differently-raced avatars to give any thoughts on how Collins work might relate. Til next time - NL will be thinking of Paolo and dreaming of what might have been....
After waiting a few minutes (and getting propositioned by a male avatar with an erect penis), I went over to sunbathe by the pool. Hey - why not earn a couple of dollars while waiting! I could see Paolo in the distance still editing his appearance, but I couldn't tell what changes he was making. I even sent an IM but got no response. Eventually, I sauntered over to Paolo and to my surprise, he had sprouted breasts! I made some comment that he certainly had changed, but still received no reply. And I thought there had been a connection. :(
Anyway, I know for sure now that you can never tell gender in SL. But I have to wonder...did my refusal to make avatar contact have anything to do with his gender switching? Had I caused him to question whether or not my avatar was truly female since I had not leaped into his arms right away and thus led him to consider making him/herself female? Who knows? It was certainly an interesting experience and I am still trying to decide if I should feel rejected in RL because my avatar had been rejected in SL. Hmmmm.
Since last night, I have been attempting to relate my readings to my continued experiences in SL. I had two chapters - one by Code and the other by Collins. The latter was certainly more interesting and accessible. Collins work focused on the concept of family and how that concept related intersectionally to gender, race, class, and nation. Part of her argument is that power relations that exist in the ideal family (men in power, women subordinate, etc...) reflect themselves at other levels such as race and nation. I can certainly see this played out in SL, but I don't think it is as absolute as in RL. The fact that one can switch gender lets any person assume the role they wish, thus turning the tables.
In addition, the phallus is so overwhelmingly evident in SL (see above). One can certainly see how such a focus is a symbol of male power. People with avatars sporting such appendages certainly seem to think that it makes them the envy of all female avatars. I have witnessed these characters strutting around asking every female avatar in sight to have some type of sexual interaction. It's as if they are saying, "Hey! Look at my huge, erect penis. You must want to be with a man like me!" I haven't seen enough interactions between differently-raced avatars to give any thoughts on how Collins work might relate. Til next time - NL will be thinking of Paolo and dreaming of what might have been....
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Ethnography in Perrysburg Heights
Last night I traveled with Sue Ellen, Shuang, and Heather to a home in Perrysburg Heights. The team was sent to complete some fieldwork collecting information from the residents in this area. On a previous trip, I had driven through the area and then spent some time walking around Levis Commons. This time I had the chance to hear from local residents about how the changes in the community were affecting them. In addition to the homeowners, both of their daughters were present. One of the themes that ran through the conversation dealt with the sense of community that the residents had, and how few people moved away. Even if they did move away, they often came back.
On the way back to BG, Heather, Shuang, and I discussed the conversation that took place and used a feminist lens to unpack what we had heard. One of the first observations was how the husband had dominated the conversation and the wife deferred to him quite often (although not always). Other comments were made in reference to the daughters, who when younger, were not allowed to stray far away from home, because "they were girls." The reaction to Shuang was quite strong as well. The notion that this person from China could actually be in their home seemed to completely surprise them, and the wife asked about Shuang's note taking which was in Chinese. To me, it seemed as though the husband was a little surprised that she was not writing in English - almost as if she should have been writing in English because she was in America. Heather didn't agree with me completely on this point, but that is how I took the comments. Indeed, her Otherness seemed to mystify the couple quite a bit.
Those were a few of the items we talked about, and I am sure that other revelations will be forthcoming once the tape is reviewed. All in all, it was an interesting experience and this family made us quite welcome in their home.
On the way back to BG, Heather, Shuang, and I discussed the conversation that took place and used a feminist lens to unpack what we had heard. One of the first observations was how the husband had dominated the conversation and the wife deferred to him quite often (although not always). Other comments were made in reference to the daughters, who when younger, were not allowed to stray far away from home, because "they were girls." The reaction to Shuang was quite strong as well. The notion that this person from China could actually be in their home seemed to completely surprise them, and the wife asked about Shuang's note taking which was in Chinese. To me, it seemed as though the husband was a little surprised that she was not writing in English - almost as if she should have been writing in English because she was in America. Heather didn't agree with me completely on this point, but that is how I took the comments. Indeed, her Otherness seemed to mystify the couple quite a bit.
Those were a few of the items we talked about, and I am sure that other revelations will be forthcoming once the tape is reviewed. All in all, it was an interesting experience and this family made us quite welcome in their home.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Semiotics and Second Life
I am adding an additional entry to help collect some of my thoughts based on recent readings. In particular, I have been completing a close reading of Jonathan Bignell's Media Semiotics. While I have had a class on visual communication which included semiotics, this book is much more accessible and it focuses specifically on the media. This is different from Chandler's Semiotics, which is a good book, but a lot more dense.
Currently, I am reading a chapter about Barthe's book Mythology and have been making some connections with our experiences in Second Life (SL). To me, Barthe's biggest contribution was his unmasking of how myth makes a sign seem natural. In SL, I recently changed my appearance. At first, my avatar was based on a male body and designed to look ambiguous. For a while the avatar was even green. During this time, I was never approached by anyone other than classmates. However, my new appearance is that of a female, probably considered "pretty" by current Western cultural standards. She is tall, with a slim figure and fairly large breasts. Almost immediately I had other avatars asking me to chat and/or be friends.
The signs encoded by the female form I chose for my avatar indicated to others (specifically male avatars) that I was sexy, approachable, and possibly interesting. Other sexual connotations may have been implied, but I never let the interactions go far enough to find out. What struck me was how my form gave off these signs as if they were natural. Her looks and shape were signifiers to other users based on what has been learned in our culture. The person behind the avatar was never questioned and neither were the intentions behind creation of my avatar. I am very interested to see what happens if the avatar is made to appear "unattractive."
Currently, I am reading a chapter about Barthe's book Mythology and have been making some connections with our experiences in Second Life (SL). To me, Barthe's biggest contribution was his unmasking of how myth makes a sign seem natural. In SL, I recently changed my appearance. At first, my avatar was based on a male body and designed to look ambiguous. For a while the avatar was even green. During this time, I was never approached by anyone other than classmates. However, my new appearance is that of a female, probably considered "pretty" by current Western cultural standards. She is tall, with a slim figure and fairly large breasts. Almost immediately I had other avatars asking me to chat and/or be friends.
The signs encoded by the female form I chose for my avatar indicated to others (specifically male avatars) that I was sexy, approachable, and possibly interesting. Other sexual connotations may have been implied, but I never let the interactions go far enough to find out. What struck me was how my form gave off these signs as if they were natural. Her looks and shape were signifiers to other users based on what has been learned in our culture. The person behind the avatar was never questioned and neither were the intentions behind creation of my avatar. I am very interested to see what happens if the avatar is made to appear "unattractive."
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