Critical Annotated Webliography
Topic: Critically assess the ways in which constructions of identity have been extended and/ or altered by information and communication technologies.
Identity Construction within Cyberspace
Do new technologies extend or alter the way of identity construction? Some people believe that Internet, the newest and rapidly developing information and communication technology, will offer us a utopian, democratic, and liberating world, where we can freely construct our identities and redefine ourselves. However, with evidence of increasing cybercrime and sexual harassment in cyberspace, the notion is proved to be too idealistic. Scholars even criticize the virtual reality is taken over by the dominant group. In this paper, some scholars ‘opinions on gender and racial identity constructions will examined in order to explore whether technologies extend or alter the constructions of identity.
Pulling the Old Stereotypes into Cyberspcae?
In Race In/For Cyberspace: Identity Tourism and Racial Passing on the Internet written by Lisa Nakamura, she argues the oriental discourse is being brought into the context of cyberspace. Nakamura point out, for those who describe themselves as Asian, most of them are accessing the “identity tourism”. “Passing” as an Asian male or female is mainly used by white men. The identity-prosthesis associates with sex, the exotic, passivity when “passing” Asian female. It signifies with anachronistic dreams of samurai warrior when “passing” Asian male. She claims that the risk of identity tourism to repeat the stereotype people learn from the mainstream media may reinforce the stereotype of reality. Furthermore, in the article Language, Gender and Cyberspace: Pulling the Old Stereotypes into New Territory, authors claim that “Cyberspace is not a gender neutral space”. People participating in the cyber world where still male dominated; social construction of gender is brought along as well. Many women have experience of being harassed and intimidated from the internet. It seems that we are repeating the stereotype in the cyberspace, and the dominant ideologies are going to take over the identity constructions, rather than people re-define themselves. In fact, that’s the truth for some people to have cyber passing. However, who will engage in cyber passing to destabilize the racism? And how many are there? In fact, it is believed there are only few people will take such kind of identity tour Also, one should not neglect the fact that the number of non-white and female internet users is growing which may evoke a new politics in cyberspace. In 2006, there are many figures state that the users of computer are increasing rapidly. It is no longer a white male dominated cyberspace, but many newcomers come to struggle for the power in order to establish their own identities. Although the cyberspace is more likely to be claimed as white male dominant virtual world at this moment, it is possible to reach the gender and racial balance in the future. Cyberspace is believed as a virtual platform for gender and class politics. Thus, once the wars still keep going, we should not make the conclusion.
Cyber Hierarchy
As a contrast, some scholars state that the constructions of identity are being altered, or will be altered. In Internet Subcultures and Oppositional Politics, Richard Kahn and Douglas Kellner point out political subcultures have used the internet for political activism. Internet provides a way for subcultural groups to voice out. With the development of internet, people can freely experience the subcultures, and re-define themselves. The rapid development of internet allows the linkage of labor, feminist, ecological, peace, and various anti-capitalist groups with users. The technologies enable users to share secret information which may be forbidden in some regions. They suggest Cyberspace is a new platform for political struggle. Both dominate cultures and subcultures promote their agenda and interests in the cyberspace. Also, the blogging culture offers bloggers to share their idea with others and have linked up more and more people together. This all will enable subcultures together for cyber politics. It is agreed that cyberspace offers an alternative way for minorities to voice out. And it allows the spread of information faster than any technologies we ever had. For example, many blogs are used as political functions in the worldwide. Some of them even call for demonstration for certain human rights and social equality. Moreover, cyberspace is believed to offers people a new way to establish their identities.
In Tim Jordan's article, he tries to examine the cyberpower within the cyberspace. He argues that people are determined by their clothes in the real life, while users are determined by written text and style in cyberspace. However, he believes that gender is not absent within the internet, as the written text will reveal. Due to the social construction of gender identity, boys and girls are taught differently in linguistic. Thus, the way of their speaking will be different. Nevertheless, he claims another form of hierarchy take place in cyberspace, as people are more likely to determine by written text. He raises an example that in cyber sex, if you are able to type fast, it means you have great legs, or a tight butt. In other words, written text becomes a weapon for cyberpower in virtual reality. Also, he concludes that the cyber battle is still going. It seems that if you are good at typing, you will be more able to construct your own identity in cyberspace. Although some clues may reveal one's gender, or even race in cyberspace, people have autonomy to establish their identity and fight under the new hierarchy system. Similarly, Mark Warschauer also raises some similar ideas with Jordan, but he focus on the racial identity. In his article Language, Identity and Internet, he claims language and dialect will reveal who you are in the virtual reality. The unequal access also causes people from the third world behind to establish their identity. Thus, who will speak for them? It is agreed to say that some people from poor regions are less likely to gain internet access, but the identity construction is still can be claimed as altered, at least for some regions, like China. With the economic development, Chinese are able to get in touch with this new technology and re-define themselves, rather than constructed by others. In Mark Poster's article, he also agrees that relationship between mind and body, subject and machine have changed. There will be a new political relationship within the cyberspace. Internet is the new platform for social politics, since subordinate group have a way to speak out, rather than determinate by the dominate group. Yet, it is not a utopian where everyone is placed in equal position, but at least it offers some people used to position as inferior, an opportunity to struggle for a new hierarchy system.
Conclusion
To conclude, the constructions of identity have not yet altered by information and communication technologies, but it is expected to do so in the future. While there are more subordinate groups gain accesses, the cyberpolitic is going to rewritten. A new hierarchy is going to form, since we are more likely to define by written text, but not the appearance. We gain more autonomy to define ourselves, and it certainly will alter the way of identity construction.
Do new technologies extend or alter the way of identity construction? Some people believe that Internet, the newest and rapidly developing information and communication technology, will offer us a utopian, democratic, and liberating world, where we can freely construct our identities and redefine ourselves. However, with evidence of increasing cybercrime and sexual harassment in cyberspace, the notion is proved to be too idealistic. Scholars even criticize the virtual reality is taken over by the dominant group. In this paper, some scholars ‘opinions on gender and racial identity constructions will examined in order to explore whether technologies extend or alter the constructions of identity.
Pulling the Old Stereotypes into Cyberspcae?
In Race In/For Cyberspace: Identity Tourism and Racial Passing on the Internet written by Lisa Nakamura, she argues the oriental discourse is being brought into the context of cyberspace. Nakamura point out, for those who describe themselves as Asian, most of them are accessing the “identity tourism”. “Passing” as an Asian male or female is mainly used by white men. The identity-prosthesis associates with sex, the exotic, passivity when “passing” Asian female. It signifies with anachronistic dreams of samurai warrior when “passing” Asian male. She claims that the risk of identity tourism to repeat the stereotype people learn from the mainstream media may reinforce the stereotype of reality. Furthermore, in the article Language, Gender and Cyberspace: Pulling the Old Stereotypes into New Territory, authors claim that “Cyberspace is not a gender neutral space”. People participating in the cyber world where still male dominated; social construction of gender is brought along as well. Many women have experience of being harassed and intimidated from the internet. It seems that we are repeating the stereotype in the cyberspace, and the dominant ideologies are going to take over the identity constructions, rather than people re-define themselves. In fact, that’s the truth for some people to have cyber passing. However, who will engage in cyber passing to destabilize the racism? And how many are there? In fact, it is believed there are only few people will take such kind of identity tour Also, one should not neglect the fact that the number of non-white and female internet users is growing which may evoke a new politics in cyberspace. In 2006, there are many figures state that the users of computer are increasing rapidly. It is no longer a white male dominated cyberspace, but many newcomers come to struggle for the power in order to establish their own identities. Although the cyberspace is more likely to be claimed as white male dominant virtual world at this moment, it is possible to reach the gender and racial balance in the future. Cyberspace is believed as a virtual platform for gender and class politics. Thus, once the wars still keep going, we should not make the conclusion.
Cyber Hierarchy
As a contrast, some scholars state that the constructions of identity are being altered, or will be altered. In Internet Subcultures and Oppositional Politics, Richard Kahn and Douglas Kellner point out political subcultures have used the internet for political activism. Internet provides a way for subcultural groups to voice out. With the development of internet, people can freely experience the subcultures, and re-define themselves. The rapid development of internet allows the linkage of labor, feminist, ecological, peace, and various anti-capitalist groups with users. The technologies enable users to share secret information which may be forbidden in some regions. They suggest Cyberspace is a new platform for political struggle. Both dominate cultures and subcultures promote their agenda and interests in the cyberspace. Also, the blogging culture offers bloggers to share their idea with others and have linked up more and more people together. This all will enable subcultures together for cyber politics. It is agreed that cyberspace offers an alternative way for minorities to voice out. And it allows the spread of information faster than any technologies we ever had. For example, many blogs are used as political functions in the worldwide. Some of them even call for demonstration for certain human rights and social equality. Moreover, cyberspace is believed to offers people a new way to establish their identities.
In Tim Jordan's article, he tries to examine the cyberpower within the cyberspace. He argues that people are determined by their clothes in the real life, while users are determined by written text and style in cyberspace. However, he believes that gender is not absent within the internet, as the written text will reveal. Due to the social construction of gender identity, boys and girls are taught differently in linguistic. Thus, the way of their speaking will be different. Nevertheless, he claims another form of hierarchy take place in cyberspace, as people are more likely to determine by written text. He raises an example that in cyber sex, if you are able to type fast, it means you have great legs, or a tight butt. In other words, written text becomes a weapon for cyberpower in virtual reality. Also, he concludes that the cyber battle is still going. It seems that if you are good at typing, you will be more able to construct your own identity in cyberspace. Although some clues may reveal one's gender, or even race in cyberspace, people have autonomy to establish their identity and fight under the new hierarchy system. Similarly, Mark Warschauer also raises some similar ideas with Jordan, but he focus on the racial identity. In his article Language, Identity and Internet, he claims language and dialect will reveal who you are in the virtual reality. The unequal access also causes people from the third world behind to establish their identity. Thus, who will speak for them? It is agreed to say that some people from poor regions are less likely to gain internet access, but the identity construction is still can be claimed as altered, at least for some regions, like China. With the economic development, Chinese are able to get in touch with this new technology and re-define themselves, rather than constructed by others. In Mark Poster's article, he also agrees that relationship between mind and body, subject and machine have changed. There will be a new political relationship within the cyberspace. Internet is the new platform for social politics, since subordinate group have a way to speak out, rather than determinate by the dominate group. Yet, it is not a utopian where everyone is placed in equal position, but at least it offers some people used to position as inferior, an opportunity to struggle for a new hierarchy system.
Conclusion
To conclude, the constructions of identity have not yet altered by information and communication technologies, but it is expected to do so in the future. While there are more subordinate groups gain accesses, the cyberpolitic is going to rewritten. A new hierarchy is going to form, since we are more likely to define by written text, but not the appearance. We gain more autonomy to define ourselves, and it certainly will alter the way of identity construction.
Reference:
Jordan,Tim. Cyberpower: The Culture and Politics in Cyberspace. Retrieved April 4, 2006, from http://www.isoc.org/inet99/proceedings/3i/3i_1.htm
Kahn, Richard and Douglas Kellner. Internet Subcultures and Oppositional Politics. Retrieved April 2, 2006, from http://richardkahn.org/writings/tep/internetsubculturesoppositionalpolitics.pdf
Jordan,Tim. Cyberpower: The Culture and Politics in Cyberspace. Retrieved April 4, 2006, from http://www.isoc.org/inet99/proceedings/3i/3i_1.htm
Kahn, Richard and Douglas Kellner. Internet Subcultures and Oppositional Politics. Retrieved April 2, 2006, from http://richardkahn.org/writings/tep/internetsubculturesoppositionalpolitics.pdf
Mahoney,Judy E. and Nancy Nelson Knupfer. (1997). Language, Gender and Cyberspace: Pulling the Old Stereotypes into New Territory. Retrieved April 7, 2006, from http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b/80/26/fb/2c.pdf
Nakamura, Lisa. Race In/For Cyberspace: Identity Tourism and Racial Passing on the Internet. Retrieved April 3, 2006, from http://www.humanities.uci.edu/mposter/syllabi/readings/nakamura.html
Poster, Mark. (1995). CyberDemocracy: Internet and the Public Sphere. Retrieved April 3, 2006, from http://www.hnet.uci.edu/mposter/writings/democ.html
Warschauer, Mark. (2001, October). Language, identity and internet. Retrieved April 2, 2006, from http://www.arts.uwa.edu.au/Motspluriels/MP1901mw.html
Nakamura, Lisa. Race In/For Cyberspace: Identity Tourism and Racial Passing on the Internet. Retrieved April 3, 2006, from http://www.humanities.uci.edu/mposter/syllabi/readings/nakamura.html
Poster, Mark. (1995). CyberDemocracy: Internet and the Public Sphere. Retrieved April 3, 2006, from http://www.hnet.uci.edu/mposter/writings/democ.html
Warschauer, Mark. (2001, October). Language, identity and internet. Retrieved April 2, 2006, from http://www.arts.uwa.edu.au/Motspluriels/MP1901mw.html
posted by ReN @ 11:51 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Hello ReN, I think you have found some good articles for your Webliography. The idea of “identity tourism” is quite notable for the issue of constructing identity in cyberspace. As most of the scholars claim that people are able to construct their identity freely in cyberspace, however, Lisa Nakamura argues that “identity tourism” just repeat the stereotype identity in cyberspace. On the other hand, you have provided some articles which examine the cyberpower within the cyberspace and point out that people can freely re-define themselves. In your conclusion, you claim that the construction of identity is expected to alter by information and communication technologies. I suggest that you can further discuss on this issue to support your idea. In fact, according to the sources you have used in your Webliography, you have successful to bring out the argument about the construction of identity by information and communication technologies.
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