Hello,
In reflecting upon all of the various readings for the first week of the summer institute, I wanted to clarify the meaning of 'identity' as it is used across the articles. Are we to assume that identity formation/construction through the use of digital (new) literacies represents one's exploration of self, projection of self and further exploration of what it means to be human in the larger sense of the notion of identity? In other words - who am I and what is my purpose here - what does the world mean to me and what is my place in the world? Or - is identity merely constructing/reconstructing ourselves through our actions and interactions - self as project?
The other common notion of identity seems to also be the notion that we are projecting multiple identities through our communication in virtual spaces/social networks - or have the potential to do this. Again, does this speak to the notion that these interactions are also explorations of the self and our place in the world (virtual and 'real')?
Any insights, enlightenments or further explanations would be very helpful...thanks.
1 comment:
These are excellent questions and, indeed, are among the very kinds of questions the Summer Institute as a whole is intended to raise. These are the kinds of questions that will be explored throughout the week. There are no presumed answers to them on our part. rather, they are substantial issues that we think need to be identified, raised and addressed.
So the concepts of identity used across the various readings are often different, in tension, confusing, under-formulated, or emerge out of different kinds of theories and so on. The whole theme, in some ways, is ambiguous, "mixed", impressionistic. Consequently, there are no simple or agreed answers here. Instead, again, there are substantial issues. Nothing is sure or fixed here. It is all up for grabs, and this is what the course is largely about.
The opening keynote talk will try to address some of this variety and look at something of the range of views that exist.
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