The Social Construction of Space in a Computerized Environment Jerzy Kociatkiewicz Doctoral thesis written under the supervision of Prof. Barbara Czarniawska Contents: Chapter 1: Introduction and overview ................................ ................................ ......................... 4 Structure of the work ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 11 Chapter 2: Methodology and theoretical considerations................................ ...................... 16 Socially constructed reality ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 16 Actors: human and not ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 17 Research structure ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 25 Fiction in social research ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 26 Science fiction ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 26 Magazine discourse ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 34 Short stories ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 35 Shadowing and observation ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 36 Writing ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 37 Chapter 3: Cyberspace: the world beyond................................ ................................ ............... 38 Space and time ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 38 Definitions of cyberspace ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 39 Science fiction spaces ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 40 Prelude to cyberspace ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 42 Cyberspace proper ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 46 Locating cyberspace ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 50 Bodies in cybersp ace ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 56 Chapter 4: Physical space and mobility ................................ ................................ .................... 60 Space and place ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 60 Mobility ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 62 Practice ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 66 Senses ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .69 Order ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 70 Outer space ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 71 City space ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 73 Computers in space ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 76 Chapter 5: Rifts and boundaries ................................ ................................ ................................ 78 Boundaries in fiction ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 78 Sharp limits ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 80 Moving between worlds ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 83 Mythology and purity ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 84 Hybrids ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 87 Merits of boundaries ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 90 Crossing rifts ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 91 City space ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 95 Bodies in virtual spaces ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 99 Chapter 6: Bodies, machines, and their strange couplings ................................ .................. 103 Body and mind ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 103 Cyberpunk dichotomies ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 104 Machines and alien bodies ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 106 Virtual minds and bodies ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 112 Unmediate d virtuality ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 115 Gender ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 118 Crossing over ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 121 Cyborg ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 124 Bodies meet machines ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 131 Departure point ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 134 Chapter 7: Space in computer press ................................ ................................ ........................ 136 Study outline ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 136 Corporeal space ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 138 Aside: sexed computers ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 141 Virtual space ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 144 Technical space ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 148 Timeline ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 152 Three spaces ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 153 Comments ................................ ................................ ...............................