The Social Construction of Virtual Reality and the Stigmatized Identity of the Newbie

Authors

  • Robert E. Boostrom, Jr. PhD Candidate

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4101/jvwr.v1i2.302

Keywords:

virtual worlds, newbie, social constructionism, secondary socialization, stigma

Abstract

Persistent virtual spaces are becoming available to users, often for free, via internet connections. Due to the immersive character and malleability of these communities, new forms of technology-mediated social interaction are emerging. In this paper, ethnographic research done in Second Life is used to outline (1) how the reality within these virtual worlds is constructed, (2) what role elements of the secondary socialization play in these groups, and (3) the way the stigmatized identity of the neophyte user, the

Author Biography

  • Robert E. Boostrom, Jr., PhD Candidate
    Rob is a PhD candidate in marketing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He holds a BS in marketing from SIUC and an MA in sociology from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He has worked in industry in database marketing and is interested in research related to social aspects of consumer behavior and consumer use of new technologies.
Cover of 2nd Issue

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Published

2008-11-10

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2008): Consumer Behavior in Virtual Worlds

Section

Peer Reviewed Research Papers

License

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