This page contains materials intended
to facilitate class discussion (excerpts from readings,
outlines of issues, links to resources, etc.). The
materials are not necessarily the same as the instructor's
teaching notes and are not designed to represent
a full exposition or argument. This page is subject
to revision as the instructor finalizes preparation.
(Last revised
3/6/02
)
Preliminary Class Business
Description of Reading Exam 2 on Friday, March
8th
Last name only in ID section
New section of exam for "mini-essays"
on concepts (e.g.,
"how would you explain 'viral art'
to someone?"). Instructions
read: "the best answers are ones that
cover the major issues of a topic and also
give evidence of some detailed knowledge
of the readings."
How the exam will handle the business
books (with the exception of Schumpeter)
But also contrary or complicating evidence
about the "digital divide": e.g.,
the Los Angeles Times reported in 2000:
"Latino
households are acquiring computers at
a faster rate than the national average.
Some disparity remains, but it seems that
income, more than ethnicity, is responsible.
Computer ownership and Internet use rises
with income level" ("Univision
Adds Site to Bridge the Divide,"
29 June 2000)
The digital divide and the global scale of
the problem of "identity": Manuel
Castells, The Rise of Network Society
(vol. 1 of his 3-vol. trilogy, The Information
Age: Economy, Society and Culture, 1996-97):
"In such
a world of uncontrolled, confusing change,
people tend to regroup around primary
identities: religious, ethnic, territorial,
national. Religious fundamenalism, Christian,
Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, and even Buddhist . . .
, is probably the most formidable force
of personal security and collective mobilization
in these troubled years. In a world of
global flows of wealth, power, and images,
the search for identity, collective or
individual, ascribed or constructed, becomes
the fundamental source of social meaning. . . .
Our societies are increasingly structured
around a bipolar opposition between the
Net and the Self" (p. 3)
(2) The problem of "indifference" to
gender and race within cyberspace (see articles
assigned for this week plus these resources)
The interesting example of "The
Turing Game" (Joshua Berman and Amy
Bruckman, Georgia Tech U.)
"Since
creating the Turing Game late last
year, Mr. Berman and Ms. Bruckman
have been unable to start a race game,
in which players would guess who is
black, or Asian, or white. Players
are eager to watch such a game, but
few are willing to step up and pose
touchy racial questions, much less
answer them.
'I think
this tells you something profound,'
Ms. Bruckman said. 'At this point
we are comfortable enough to challenge
and question and play with issues
of gender, but we're not comfortable
yet to even begin the discussion about
race.'"
"Female
characters are often besieged with
attention. By typing using the who
command, it is possible to get a list
of all characters logged on. The page
command allows one to talk to people
not in the same room. Many male players
will get a list of all present, and
then page characters with female names.
Unwanted attention and sexual advances
create an uncomfortable atmosphere
for women in MUDs, just as they do
in real life."
"Perhaps more damaging than unwanted
sexual advances are unrequested offers
of assistance. . . .
[Reflection of a male player passing
as a female:] 'I played a couple of
muds as a female, once making it up
to wizard level. And the first thing
I noticed was that the above was true.
Other players start showering you
with money to help you get started,
and I had never once gotten a handout
when playing a male player. And then
they feel they should be allowed to
tag along forever, and feel hurt when
you leave them to go off and explore
by yourself. Then when you give them
the knee after they grope you, they
wonder what your problem is, reciting
that famous saying 'What's your problem?
It's only a game.' Lest you get the
wrong idea, there was nothing suggesting
about my character, merely a female
name and the appropriate pronouns
in the bland description. Did I mention
the friendly wizard who turned cold
when he discovered I was male in real
life?' "
Margeret Morse, "Virtually Female:
Body and Code": (p. 90 in Trend)
The problem of race (and ethnicity) passing
on the Internet
Lisa Nakamura, "Race In/For Cyberspace:
Identity Tourism and Racial Passing on the
Internet":
"On
the Internet, nobody knows you're
a dog!" [or do they?]
The non-option of "race"
in LambdaMOO
Race identity perceived as an affront
in LambdaMOO
The implicit whiteness of LambdaMOO
(e.g., self-descriptions of blonds
with blue eyes)
Racial "passing" or "tourism":
the example of male and female Asian
characters in LambdaMOO
Jennifer González, "The Appended
Subject: Race and Identity as Digital Assemblage":
Manuel Castells, The Information
Age: Economy, Society and Culture, 3 vols.
(Malden, Mass.: Blackwell, 1996-97)
Los Angeles Times, "Univision
Adds Site to Bridge the Divide," by Lee
Romney, 29 June 2000: C1, C10 (includes statistical
chart titled "Digital Divide Narrows for
Latinos")
