Virtual Worlds: Aspects of the New Media and the Widening Social and Digital Divides

This seminar will examine the implications of aspects of what has come to be described as the "New Media" - such as social networking (facebook) and Multi-user Virtual Environments (MUVE such as World of Warcraft) for the issues of social exclusion and inequality. The near euphoric attitude demonstrated towards much of this new technology in the mass media will be briefly examined in order to unpack the underlying processes at work. Dr John Martino will concentrate discussion in this paper on a specific MUVE, "Second Life" and how it has been moulded to resemble the real world of global neo-liberal capitalism. An argument will be presented that new technologies such as Second Life are being harnessed to extend the reach of market culture with its concomitant social problems (social exclusion, economic and gender inequality ) into this new virtual environment.

Issues of social class, gender and social norms will be briefly discussed in relation to these new technologies.The potential offered by these virtual environments to invert and subvert accepted norms of behaviour and patterns of social relations will also be canvassed. Data from a 3 year research project working with young people drawn predominately from a recently arrived refugee population will help provide material for this analysis. The paper will conclude that even in a virtual world the issues of class, gender and inequality cannot be escaped. 
 

Speaker

Dr John Martino, School of Education, Victoria University

When: Friday 21st November 2008
Time: 3-5pm
Where: 'Eats' Suite, Level 1, Building P, Victoria University, Footscray Park (Melways 2007 Ref: 42 C2)
RSVP: Tuesday 18th November 2008
Sue Butterworth
Phone: