Popielinski, M.A
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Noncorporeal Embodiment and Gendered Virtual Identity Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Lea Marie Popielinski, M.A. Graduate Program in Women’s Studies The Ohio State University 2012 Dissertation Committee: Cathy A. Rakowski, Advisor Cynthia Selfe Mary Thomas Copyright by Lea Marie Popielinski 2012 Abstract This dissertation introduces the concept of noncorporeal embodiment as an analytical tool for understanding the experience of having a body in three-dimensional graphical virtual space, i.e., a representational avatar body. I propose that users of virtual worlds such as Second Life develop a sense of embodiment that is comparable but not identical to a sense of embodiment in the actual world. The dissertation explores three key areas—the development of a virtual identity, the practice of virtual sexuality, and the experience of virtual violence—to locate evidence that Second Life residents identify with their avatars in ways that reflect the concept as it is developed in the text. Methods include interviews with Second Life residents, a blog that presents questions for public response, and the use of resident-produced written materials (e.g., blogs, forum discussions, classifed ads), while theoretical perspectives are drawn from feminist theorists concerned with studies of the body in various respects. The dissertation concludes with a summation of the social patterns observed in the previous chapters and with a discussion of future directions for further research. ii Acknowledgments The completion of this dissertation was long in coming, and it would never have arrived without the guidance, support, and participation of a number of individuals who did not give up on me and would not let me give up on myself throughout the process. More than anyone, my advisor Dr. Cathy A. Rakowski kept me focused and gave me direction and inspiration at every critical juncture, of which there were many. I cannot imagine having been able to complete this work without her. Dr. Mary Thomas and Dr. Cynthia Selfe, as the other members of my committee, deserve thanks for their valuable commentary, feedback, and patience over the past several years. There are those responsible inworld for bringing this dissertation to fruition, too, including the amazing people I have come to know in the Second Life trivia community, as well as Ed Henry, Jessica Trinity, and the rest of the Phoenix Viewer Project, Inc. I deeply appreciate the many participants who committed their time and their thoughts to the interview and blog portions of the research. I am indebted to my uncle and aunt David and Michele Mittelman, without whose generosity and support the last couple of years would have been a struggle. Last but not least, I thank my mother and father, Vicki Popielinski and Larry (Elin) Popielinski, for their unconditional love and encouragement. I think I won the parent lottery. iii Vita March 1994..................................................Viewpoint School 1998.............................................................B.A. Women’s Studies and Psychology, Vassar College 2001.............................................................M.A. Women’s Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 2005 to 2008 ...............................................Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Women’s Studies, The Ohio State University 2008 to 2009 ...............................................Graduate Administrative Associate, Council of Graduate Students, The Ohio State University 2012 to present ............................................Graduate Research Associate, Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, The Ohio State University Publications iv 2009 “Evil Stepmothers Wear Dior: Hollywood’s Modern Fairy Tales.” In Race/Gender/Media: Considering Diversity Across Audiences, Content, and Producers (2nd ed.), edited by Rebecca Ann Lind. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. 2009 “The Language of Privilege in the Women’s Studies Classroom (and Beyond).” In Teaching Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education: Perspectives From North America, edited by Emily Horowitz. Birmingham, UK: The Center for the Study of Sociology, Anthropology, and Politics. Fields of Study Major Field: Women’s Studies v Table of Contents Abstract...........................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... iii Vita ................................................................................................................................iv List of Tables ...............................................................................................................viii List of Figures ................................................................................................................ix Glossary..........................................................................................................................x Chapter 1: One’s Bodies, One’s Selves............................................................................1 Chapter 2: Virtual Identity: A Product of Technology and Community..........................33 Chapter 3: Virtual Sexuality and Noncorporeal Bodily Acts ..........................................68 Chapter 4: Virtual Violence and Safety, Where Knowledge is Strength .......................116 Chapter 5: Conclusions, Discussion, and Looking Forward .........................................147 References...................................................................................................................184 Appendix A: IRB Materials.........................................................................................195 Appendix B: List of Participants..................................................................................212 vi List of Tables Table 1. Marketplace Merchandise by Maturity Rating..................................................86 vii List of Figures Figure 1. Shared media, also known as “Media on a Prim”............................................39 Figure 2. Avatar Health submenu ..................................................................................45 Figure 3. The Springs’ welcome area.............................................................................52 Figure 4. Gracie Kendal’s 1000+ Avatars Project ..........................................................60 Figure 5. Second Life kitchen with romantic animations................................................72 Figure 6. Examples of furry avatars.............................................................................103 Figure 7. A Gorean man and woman in a Gorean weapons store..................................107 Figure 8. The kind of cage that might be used in griefing.............................................124 Figure 9. A new resident helped at a welcome area......................................................133 Figure 10. A sandbox ..................................................................................................139 viii Glossary Abuse Report: The official means of documenting harassment and other incidents within Second Life to notify Linden Lab. Adult (maturity rating): A Linden Lab-defined maturity rating used to designate material with unambiguous sexual and extremely violent content, as well as land on which such content is permitted to appear in public. (Also see General and Moderate.) ageplay: Inworld sexual content involving minors, avatars that appear to be minors, roleplay in which one or more participant is explicitly identified as impersonating a minor, or imagery of minors. It is the only kind of sexual conduct and content categorically prohibited by Linden Lab. alt: A second or later account created by someone who already has an initial Second Life account. animation: An asset that causes one or more avatars to engage in a particular sequence of movements. animation overrider (AO): An attachment or viewer-embedded tool that allows an avatar to override the default Linden animations with his or her choice of custom-chosen animations. Aristotle/Integrity: An outside company that Linden Lab contracted with to handle age verification from 2007 to 2011. asset: A discrete piece of inworld content. augmentationism: An approach to virtual worlds where one’s involvement in the virtual world is carried out in reference to one’s interests in the real world. avatar: The inworld representation of a virtual world participant. In Second Life, an avatar exists in three-dimensional space and can take on a wide range of human and nonhuman appearances. BDSM: Bondage/domination/sadism/masochism. ix blitzer: An obsolete griefer implement similar to an orbiter but, due to its ability to exploit server-side code, able to propel the victim beyond the defined parameters of the grid itself; relogging would be the victim’s only course of recovery. The exploit has since been patched. breedable: A type of inworld animal scripted to reproduce itself if its owner fulfills the product’s requirements for breeding. build (noun, inworld): Can apply to anything that has been created but usually refers to a large project, such as a region full of buildings or a sizable art display. (In use, one would refer to “a build,” “this build,” etc.) build (noun, viewer development): A particular version of a viewer,