Racial Identity Online

In response to Therese's post, I think that race is less fixed in cyberspace. As can be seen in the critique of the website ICERED, people are a lot more confident and outspoken in cyberspace . The anonymity that can be found online means that people are less likely to fear retribution for their opinions, and they can also shield and reveal whatever parts of their identity they wish to (age, gender, race, etc) because most communication is done with text.

I believe that abolition of race in cyberspace would have negative affects in regards to “real life” interaction between different races. Prejudices would still exist in face to face interaction, because the initial issue of racial assumptions would not have been dealt with. Of course, abolition would assist in the lessening of prejudice online on the surface but not the assumptions that individuals attach to the idea of race. This applies to issues such as sexism and homophobia as well (as can be seen in the discriminatory thread posted on ICERED entitled "Homosexual on ICERED"; which, as well as being homophobic, depicts the incorrect assumption that homosexuality is a "feature" of western countries and no where else) .

Stereotypes regarding women, men, homosexuals and different races have been present in media forms in the past, such as movies and television but can also be generated by cultural and religious beliefs. It’d be foolish to assume that there’s a “quick fix” for the problem of prejudice, but abolition would appear to be more problematic with regards to real life. If race were to be obscured, no presumably warped views would be changed. People would bring their own values to cyberspace and (as indicated in “Menu-Driven Identities: Making Race Happen Online”) it is often presumed that white is the “default race” of the internet.

Integration would also have its set backs; what about those people who are unwilling to interact with people of different races, sexualities, etc? This unwillingness could provide a barrier, stopping potential interactions between races. However, it does appear more favourable than abolition as it attempts to eradicate the problem rather than just ignore it. Eventual integration appears to be the best option in challenging and eradicating prejudice. If people are able to remove initial assumptions, they will be able to accept different races, sexualities, etc.