Difference between revisions of "Anthropology of Disembodiment"

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===Definition===
 
===Definition===
“Disembodiment occurs when a person’s identity is separated from their physical presence (Slater, 2002)” and “there are others who believe engaging in CMC does not cause disembodiment of identity (Turkle, 1994, 1997), but instead acts as a catalyst for ‘re-embodiment’ and self-transformation (Pearce, 2009).”<ref>[http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2010/04/disembodiment-and-re-embodiment-of-identity-in-multi-player-dungeons-and-online-role-playing-games/ Disembodiment and Re-embodiment of Identity in Multi-Player Dungeons and Online Role Playing Games] 25/04/2010 by AaronMillerand. Online Conference on Networks and CommunitiesDepartment of Internet Studies, Curtin University of Technology.</ref>
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“Disembodiment occurs when a person’s identity is separated from their physical presence<ref>(Slater, 2002)</ref>” and “there are others who believe engaging in CMC does not cause disembodiment of identity<ref>Turkle, S. (1994). Constructions and reconstructions of self in virtual reality: playing in the MUDs. Mind, Culture and Society, 1(3), 158-167.
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</ref><ref>Turkle, S. (1997). Multiple subjectivity and virtual community at the end of the Freudian century. Sociological Inquiry, 67(1), 72-84.</ref> but instead acts as a catalyst for ‘re-embodiment’ and self-transformation"<ref>(Pearce, 2009)</ref><ref>http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2010/04/disembodiment-and-re-embodiment-of-identity-in-multi-player-dungeons-and-online-role-playing-games/ Disembodiment and Re-embodiment of Identity in Multi-Player Dungeons and Online Role Playing Games 25/04/2010 by Aaron Millerand. Online Conference on Networks and CommunitiesDepartment of Internet Studies, Curtin University of Technology.</ref>
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"One of the most pervasive themes in the fiction and theory of cyberculture of the past few decades has been that the human body is vanishing, irrelevant or, interfaced with the machine, an empty shell robbed of what is variously called spirit, consciousness or identity".<ref>[http://www.gradnet.de/papers/pomo02.papers/disembodiment.htm Homogenous Eclecticism and Disembodiment in Neutral Semantic Space] By Terryl Atkins.</ref> But the body doesn't really disembody. It simply floats into another space. The essence of it merges in with the other understandings of the body. One's consciousness extends to the edges of one's online identity. The second self becomes as much as the primary self, and one acts through it.
  
 
====Therapeutic Disembodiment====  
 
====Therapeutic Disembodiment====  
AaronMillerand believes that "online interactions do facilitate a therapeutic process that stems into the offline world. Drawing on examples from my paper, specifically Peter, his online interactions helped him to develop the confidence to actually go out into the “real” world and meet people (Turkle, 1994). Before his involvement in the MUD, Peter online had one friend, being his college roommate and spent the majority of his time studying (Turkle, 1994)," and he brings up "another case that clearly illustrates this is Lynn. Lynn, who suffered paralysis after an accident, joined an online RPG and created an avatar to represent the person she once was, a very active person in the community (Pearce, 2009). Lynn used her avatar as an extension of herself to help people the way she used to prior to her accident, which she stated helped bring her out of her depression to start living her life (Pearce, 2009). In these cases, I think online interactions have definitely had an impact on their offline issues.<ref>AaronMillerand in comment to Jordannaepp. [http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2010/04/disembodiment-and-re-embodiment-of-identity-in-multi-player-dungeons-and-online-role-playing-games/ Disembodiment and Re-embodiment of Identity in Multi-Player Dungeons and Online Role Playing Games] 25/04/2010 by AaronMillerand. Online Conference on Networks and CommunitiesDepartment of Internet Studies, Curtin University of Technology.</ref>  
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Aaron Millerand believes that "online interactions do facilitate a therapeutic process that stems into the offline world. Drawing on examples from my paper, specifically Peter, his online interactions helped him to develop the confidence to actually go out into the “real” world and meet people<ref>Turkle, S. (1994). Constructions and reconstructions of self in virtual reality: playing in the MUDs. Mind, Culture and Society, 1(3), 158-167.</ref>.
  
====Research on Disembodiment and Cyberspace====
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Before his involvement in the MUD, Peter online had one friend, being his college roommate and spent the majority of his time studying<ref>Turkle, S. (1994). Constructions and reconstructions of self in virtual reality: playing in the MUDs. Mind, Culture and Society, 1(3), 158-167.</ref>," and he brings up "another case that clearly illustrates this is Lynn. Lynn, who suffered paralysis after an accident, joined an online RPG and created an avatar to represent the person she once was, a very active person in the community<ref>(Pearce, 2009)</ref>. Lynn used her avatar as an extension of herself to help people the way she used to prior to her accident, which she stated helped bring her out of her depression to start living her life<ref>(Pearce, 2009)</ref>. In these cases, I think online interactions have definitely had an impact on their offline issues.<ref>AaronMillerand in comment to Jordannaepp. http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2010/04/disembodiment-and-re-embodiment-of-identity-in-multi-player-dungeons-and-online-role-playing-games/ Disembodiment and Re-embodiment of Identity in Multi-Player Dungeons and Online Role Playing Games 25/04/2010 by Aaron Millerand. Online Conference on Networks and Communities - Department of Internet Studies, Curtin University of Technology.</ref>
[http://www.eth.mpg.de/cms/files/events_pdf/399/1116860696-01.pdf Symbolic and Experiential Consumption of Body in Virtual Worlds: from (Dis)Embodiment to Symembodiment] (pdf). Vol. 1. No. 2 ISSN: 1941-8477 “Virtual Worlds Research: Consumer Behavior in Virtual Worlds” November 2008. Handan Vicdan, College of Business Administration, The University of Texas-Pan American; Ebru Ulusoy, College of Business Administration, The University of Texas-Pan American.  
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==References==
 
==References==
 
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[[Category:Concepts]]
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Latest revision as of 15:28, 30 June 2011

Definition

“Disembodiment occurs when a person’s identity is separated from their physical presence[1]” and “there are others who believe engaging in CMC does not cause disembodiment of identity[2][3] but instead acts as a catalyst for ‘re-embodiment’ and self-transformation"[4][5]

"One of the most pervasive themes in the fiction and theory of cyberculture of the past few decades has been that the human body is vanishing, irrelevant or, interfaced with the machine, an empty shell robbed of what is variously called spirit, consciousness or identity".[6] But the body doesn't really disembody. It simply floats into another space. The essence of it merges in with the other understandings of the body. One's consciousness extends to the edges of one's online identity. The second self becomes as much as the primary self, and one acts through it.

Therapeutic Disembodiment

Aaron Millerand believes that "online interactions do facilitate a therapeutic process that stems into the offline world. Drawing on examples from my paper, specifically Peter, his online interactions helped him to develop the confidence to actually go out into the “real” world and meet people[7].

Before his involvement in the MUD, Peter online had one friend, being his college roommate and spent the majority of his time studying[8]," and he brings up "another case that clearly illustrates this is Lynn. Lynn, who suffered paralysis after an accident, joined an online RPG and created an avatar to represent the person she once was, a very active person in the community[9]. Lynn used her avatar as an extension of herself to help people the way she used to prior to her accident, which she stated helped bring her out of her depression to start living her life[10]. In these cases, I think online interactions have definitely had an impact on their offline issues.[11]

References

  1. (Slater, 2002)
  2. Turkle, S. (1994). Constructions and reconstructions of self in virtual reality: playing in the MUDs. Mind, Culture and Society, 1(3), 158-167.
  3. Turkle, S. (1997). Multiple subjectivity and virtual community at the end of the Freudian century. Sociological Inquiry, 67(1), 72-84.
  4. (Pearce, 2009)
  5. http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2010/04/disembodiment-and-re-embodiment-of-identity-in-multi-player-dungeons-and-online-role-playing-games/ Disembodiment and Re-embodiment of Identity in Multi-Player Dungeons and Online Role Playing Games 25/04/2010 by Aaron Millerand. Online Conference on Networks and CommunitiesDepartment of Internet Studies, Curtin University of Technology.
  6. Homogenous Eclecticism and Disembodiment in Neutral Semantic Space By Terryl Atkins.
  7. Turkle, S. (1994). Constructions and reconstructions of self in virtual reality: playing in the MUDs. Mind, Culture and Society, 1(3), 158-167.
  8. Turkle, S. (1994). Constructions and reconstructions of self in virtual reality: playing in the MUDs. Mind, Culture and Society, 1(3), 158-167.
  9. (Pearce, 2009)
  10. (Pearce, 2009)
  11. AaronMillerand in comment to Jordannaepp. http://networkconference.netstudies.org/2010/04/disembodiment-and-re-embodiment-of-identity-in-multi-player-dungeons-and-online-role-playing-games/ Disembodiment and Re-embodiment of Identity in Multi-Player Dungeons and Online Role Playing Games 25/04/2010 by Aaron Millerand. Online Conference on Networks and Communities - Department of Internet Studies, Curtin University of Technology.