Virtual and Real World Spaces and Identities - Essay Example

Virtual and Real World Spaces and Identities Introduction The debate between the “real” and “virtual world space has received increased attention in the recent past and subject to critique (Valentine and Holloway, 2002). However, for some authors like Dodge and Kitchin (2001), communication in the virtual space is associated with tremendous benefits including economical, cultural and political. Virtual Worlds can help in forging friendship, establishing business and even creating learning environments (Bartle, 2004). Despite the increased attention, very little is known about how people actually the dynamics involved in context of their everyday lives. The aim of this paper is to present various aspect of virtual Space and associated identities. The rest of the paper is organized as follows: The second section 2 gives discussion on the different ways of representation in the virtual world. In this, review on various articles and journals taken into consideration. The third section related to how one can construct own identity while the fourth section relates to the nature of social relationship in the cyber world. The last section four highlights on the relationship between the real and the virtual world. How people represent themselves in virtual spaces There are various ways through which people can represent their interests and concerns in the virtual space. The second life is linked to a range of possibilities where users can explore and at the same time build on the existing virtual system. Some of the options available include creating of designing suitable avatars while at the same times create virtual objects (Castronova, 2005). In addition, people’s expression facilitated through archives of Motion-capture, camera/video-based virtual reality can be shared through different social networks and even get instant feedbacks (Schroder, 2009). In fact is often stated that the economies of these virtual worlds, and the behavioral patterns of its consumers, are much similar to those of the real world economies. Defined as an online manifestation of self in a virtual world, avatar enhances interaction in the virtual space (Peterson 2005). One illustration of the use of avatar is manifestation of self-expression through the online games. It is also possible to have transference of emotions, interjections, or projection of self into an “other” as the distinction between the self and the other is quite unclear (Filiciak, 2003). By extension, avatars allow ‘the user to take on a visible persona within a virtual world, offering various opportunities to engage in surreal and imaginary experiences that transcend the real world where people live (Deuchar & Nodder, 2003: 1). By using motion-capture, camera/video-based virtual reality, the user expresses himself/herself or interacts within the virtual world through body movements. In particular, the Motion-capture virtual reality systems applied  by the use of a camera to  capture the users' body movements. The user’s image is then projected in the mirror-image view within the virtual or real environment on a two-dimensional screen (Weiss et al., 2004). Beside avarta and video based forms of expressions, individual can also make use of computer conferencing and text based chat-rooms which sometimes are embedded with emoticons or 'smiles' are available, to show feeling or facial expression (Deuchar & Nodder, 2003: 1). Choosing and constructing my identity Cyberspace offers give people opportunities to personalize their own identify. Personally am always involved in appearance modification of my virtual character. In this state, I even felt disturbed when someone started talking to me. Referring to my observations, most of the other participants were also very engaged in the bodily changes of their virtual characters and not willing to talk. By using the appearance editor I create a completely new body and look and with this tool, many details including modified bodily form, skin, hair, facial expressions. Am able to choice or even change my dressing consistent with my preferences. But how is this possible? Well, I have two options; one where my clothes are modified or edited the help of appearance tool with its color palette and the library of textures which may suit my presence. In addition, I have the option of mu uploading shapes and textures associated with a distinctive appearance. Finally, I have the choice of buying out an outfit for what I choice as my preferred identity unfortunately this requires some real cash to buy the second life.   Apart from modifying and buying myself a second life identity, I can also construct the same using a profile window which even allows me to change my gender both in the way the virtual stand-in, but also about my participation through  the   interfacial structure of the device which  mediates between virtual and life, especially if I decide to first  connect with my own second life or identity .This is actually the essence of ‘gender swapping’ where the two available categories, male and female is permitted at  any time. I also can construct my identity through the appearance editor, but here I must insist that my name is relatively more reliable representation of a virtual body than my outer appearance. This also confirms the aspect of personality change in the in the virtual space. Apart from the possibility of transgender, I also have the option of using my imagination to create and influence how the person I have created moves corresponding associated gender identity and gestures connoted with masculinity and femininity for instance, a male character as always standing, sitting or walking bowlegged while women as always sitting down with closed legs and walking with swinging hips.  The virtual device has a bipolar structure which allows automatic gender presentation. If the gender is altered, then they behave corresponding to the determined body language of the chosen gender group. Am particularly, fascinated by the fact that set of gestures consist of male and female character. Again, both types of characters behave in the same way, activating the same gesture which may base on the same technological code. The specified male and female gestures are often accompanied by vocal expressions but this must be tailored to the avatar’s gender I choose. The common male gestures consist of 12 categories which are also included in the default female gesture set. However the female gestures composed of six more categories namely: Cry, embarrassed, hey baby, beautiful or looking good, over here and please. This is consistent with the common stereotypical notion  that women are generally more emotional than men and  explicitly articulate their emotions like crying , being embarrassed , often presenting hey baby, and more concerned about their appearance. It is also believed that women are more well-mannered or polite compared to men those men. It is worth noting that the virtual system cannot keep up or facilitate consistency in terms of associated gender gestures as illustrated during transgender presentation. No wonder, one may find that say the masculine Ann taking a man’s movement postures but maintaining feminine vocal expressions. For this reason, I end by saying that the life in the virtual world simulates the problem of authenticity that transsexuals also have in the real world. The nature of the social relations in these virtual spaces Social relationship in the virtual world takes many forms. It is said to be very flexible and allows for more freedom that protects it from the real world (Valentine and Holloway 2002). The virtual space allows people or users to take up different and new forms of roles including those associated with altered sex, age or personality (Hoynes and Croteau 2003). In the cyberspace, one can hide behind a newly created identity. According to Dodge and Kitchin (2001) in the virtual world of possibilities, one’s body is quite irrelevant and invisible and nobody is concerned or wants to know your race, disability, gender, sexuality or material status unless you choose to show it. The same sentiment is shared by Turkle, (1995) who adds that social relations gives various players and users and a sure escape from social inequalities, such as gender discrimination-that relates to their embodiments. Furthermore, social relations in the virtual space is also believed to the more intimate, richer and liberating compared to the one in the real world. This can be attributed to the fact that unlike the offline interaction, it is relatively based on genuine mutual interest. It also set apart people from everyday life while giving them possibility to transcend their normal living (Valentine and Holloway 2002). Social relations go beyond the time and space or social terrains where participants need not to be present in person; they are not tied by the need to meet other face-face. Relationship revolves around virtual proximity and virtual distance which imply that people can be close even while they are far or disconnected even where they are right next to each other so that it does not matter which place one is since the difference between one and another has been cancelled and rendered null and void (Bauman, 2003:59). According to Valentine and Holloway (2002) the virtual space creates a new form of social relationship to which participants are no longer bound by the need to meet other face-face but rather can expand their social terrain by meeting located around the globe, online or mind to mind. Further, it tends to override the limitation and the common distinction between the producer and receiver of the media messages and combining characteristics of mass communication with one-to-one communication (Hoynes and Croteau 2003:150). Again, social relationship are more patterned in such a way that there is a set of clear guidelines/norms that govern behavior in the cyberspace  as well as clearly highlighting consequences of those who bridge such rules. Most practitioners draw and create conventions that aid them structure the level of interaction within the network. Behavior also patterned by the language which help in imposing a logic onto the cyberspace by in essence formalizing convections ways of perceiving even habouiring on the net work. Terms used in the cyberspace such as home page, newsgroup, flaming spamming and even lurking forms attributes or characterized some of the ways out behavior is both predicaptible and patterned .These rules reinforce and protect the collective identities of the electronic communities. It can also be adopted to ward off newcomers who pose a threat to these identities or the stability of the groups. Hoynes and Croteau add that like other producers of media, users of the internet are part of a social world in which tradition organization history, group’s identity and coordinating daily activities help shape the norms and practices that pattern even their virtual behavior (Hoynes and Croteau 2003). The Relationship between own Virtual and Real World Spaces There are two ways of viewing the relationship between the virtual and real world spaces. There are those who think it closely intertwined others think it is disconnected. In the context of this view, my second life identity must rely on my previous experiences, opinions, and ways of thinking. For instance, in case am interested in deliberately-created online identities, then it must be  shaped  by my own  self  identity as seen in the role-playing setting like online multi-player games where I must chip in coming up with characters or virtual players to interact in the cyber space. In the blogging world, I may not be entirely detached from the real world. By participating successfully, I can join the list of who is who and celebrities in the real world making good money. It is also worth noting that the relationship between real and virtual space are created can be understood not only through attributes representation but also mapping and mapping (Dodge, & Kitchin2001). As noted in the earlier sections, representations entail various choices of portraying message in the virtual realm. Similarly, the close relationship can be illustrated when say I use maps to represent real spaces as projections of points on to a two-dimensional plane. This is exactly what happens in the virtual representations of space in so far as illustrating spatial data is concerned. I do agree with Hoynes and Croteau (2003) which state that hypothetical boundary between the two aspects of reality is not stable at least when viewed in the context of polarities of the same realms but not as they appear. The Two give example of a computer which only awaits instructions and nudges as well as the physical corrections that maintain the allusion of flow and continuity in virtual space. In summing up, it is clear that the virtual world is as important as the real world and continues to influence out day to day life. However, this does not mean it is not without shortcomings. References Bartle, R.A., 2004. Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders. California. Castronova, E (2005). Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games, the University of Chicago Press, Chicago Deuchar, S. & Nodder, C. (2003). The impact of avatars and 3D virtual world creation on learning. In the proceedings of the 16th Annual NACCQ Conference. Palmerston North. Dodge, Martin & Rob Kitchin (2001). Geographies of Cyberspace, Mapping Cyberspace, Rutledge, London & NY, 2001, ch.3, pp.52-64 Filiciak, M. (2003). Hyper identities: Postmodern identity patterns in massively multiplayer online role-playing games. In The Video game theory reader, ed. Mark J. P. Wolf and Bernard Perron, 87-102. New York: Routledge Hoynes W and Croteau D (2003). Media/Society: Industries, Images, and Audiences, Sage Pub, USA Peterson, M. (2005). Learning interaction in an avatar-based virtual environment: a preliminary study. PacCALL Journal, 1, 29–40. Schroder, K. (2009). Audience Theories, in Encyclopedia of Communication Theory, LittlejohnS.W. And Foss K.A., Sage, CA Valentine G and Holloway S. L (2002).Cyberkids? Exploring Children’s Identities and Social Networks in On-line and Off-line Worlds, Annals of the Association of American Geographers Volume 92, Issue 2, pages 302–319, June Weiss, Rand, Katz, & Kizony. (2004). Video capture virtual reality as a flexible and effective rehabilitation tool. Journal of Neuroengineering Rehabilitation, 1(1), 12. Read More