Some questions to get us started:
Is race less fixed in cyberspace? Is it voluntary or experimental? And do you think race is more overt in virtual environments? Why?
Is ‘whiteness online a racial category or a universal assumption unless otherwise noted?
Is all identity ‘menu driven’?
Are online interactions inherently gendered? Do gender relations operate differently online compared with face to face interactions?
For me, facebook puts the questions of fixed categories and gender relations into context. I’m sure everyone knows someone who has freaked out over a supposed lover whose online status remained single despite promises of commitment and a number of ‘more than friendly encounters’. Real life relationship ‘status’ is a lot more fluid than the limited and stark options facebook presents. But sometimes, if sufficient time is wasted on the site, the facebook status options can start to define your physical life.
In relation to race, definitely, at least in the websites I access, whiteness is assumed. Whiteness is a vague, ill-defined race as such, however i think that 'white supremecy' is probably more fixed in a virtual environment.
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2 comments:
Oppsies, you can't edit posts once you publish...
I understand what you mean when you say everyone always assumes you're white. If i'm talking to people online who I have never met I am always surprised if they don't fit into the white, male image I always have in my head. Especially if their use of language and colloquialisms fits with mine.
For example: (this happened just the other day) Upon a comment from another chat user, the friend i was talking to revealed he was black. I didn't mind, but it did surprised me. I had always assumed he was white.
I know this is bad (and indeed v. shallow), but I can't help subconsiously thinking that if someone is using correct English (as correct as net English can be) that they are white. Goes to show how sterotypes control how you think :S
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