So I thought today that I would read something totally unrelated to Second Life, but a couple of things changed my mind about that. First, I'm determined to finish this book, and after tonight I only have four more chapters to go. Second, the next article in the book is by Bryan W. Carter, Ph.D., whom I've spoken with before about Second Life and his Harlem project in SL, and after my freak out over the last couple of days over having changed my avies "skin" (basically giving her a whole new look), I decided that I would read Carter's article "Enhancing Virtual Environments."
Carter's article discusses his Harlem Renaissance Island, how it came into existence, and the possibilities for performance and learning in virtual worlds. What I found most interesting, however, were the notions of identity and passing that Carter focuses on later in his article. The notion of passing, how people do it, why they choose to, the consequences of it, have always intrigued me. Carter makes an interesting connection between passing and how we represent ourselves in virtual realities. Carter argues that "the possibilities for connections are endless regarding how one can configure him or herself in a computer generated environment and the reasoning behind why people decide to 'pass' in real life" (111). He discusses how "the practice of 'passing' occurs in various ways. One can 'pass' within or without of her race, gender, class, and eventually, out of her humanity, regardless of her outward appearance. If one is not fully knowledgeable about the practice of passing and some of the subtleties associated with it, confusion, questions, and sometimes frustration can occur" (112).
This notion of passing in virtual worlds intrigues me greatly. Over the past week or so, well before reading this aritlce, I started thinking about changing my appearance in SL. But not just from one caucasian skin to another, but actually trying to pass virtually for an African American. I decided to try another caucasian skin to see how it affected me first. And, quite frankly, it's been a bit weird, so I'm not sure how I would react to trying to pass as an African American. As Carter points out "the subtleties" associated with passing are just as important as the visual appearance. I'll have to consider it further before deciding whether or not to attempt it.
Carter's article discusses his Harlem Renaissance Island, how it came into existence, and the possibilities for performance and learning in virtual worlds. What I found most interesting, however, were the notions of identity and passing that Carter focuses on later in his article. The notion of passing, how people do it, why they choose to, the consequences of it, have always intrigued me. Carter makes an interesting connection between passing and how we represent ourselves in virtual realities. Carter argues that "the possibilities for connections are endless regarding how one can configure him or herself in a computer generated environment and the reasoning behind why people decide to 'pass' in real life" (111). He discusses how "the practice of 'passing' occurs in various ways. One can 'pass' within or without of her race, gender, class, and eventually, out of her humanity, regardless of her outward appearance. If one is not fully knowledgeable about the practice of passing and some of the subtleties associated with it, confusion, questions, and sometimes frustration can occur" (112).
This notion of passing in virtual worlds intrigues me greatly. Over the past week or so, well before reading this aritlce, I started thinking about changing my appearance in SL. But not just from one caucasian skin to another, but actually trying to pass virtually for an African American. I decided to try another caucasian skin to see how it affected me first. And, quite frankly, it's been a bit weird, so I'm not sure how I would react to trying to pass as an African American. As Carter points out "the subtleties" associated with passing are just as important as the visual appearance. I'll have to consider it further before deciding whether or not to attempt it.
RSS Feed
