The Avatar - The “Other”
March 9th, 2007 by trottahe
Currently I’m getting resources together for my class this semester at Columbia: Youth Cultures. I love this class but don’t always understand the readings. However, the professor does a terrific job at pulling out all the pertinent facts … it is a 2 hr out-of the department credit. The class has made me think out this concept of the “other” and how, by labeling an individual or group as “other” we either ourselves certain freedoms to either dislike them, be afraid of them, blame them or separate them from ourselves.
For my project I want to look at this concept of the “other” in avatar formation by comparing the process in youth and adults, tying it back to the formation of identity. Because the avatar is the “other” in some respects, some freedoms in creation exist that allow us play with issues of desire, fantasy, personality and play in safety. However, I would argue that cross-over exists between real life (RL) and life on the screen, that the other is really inside us. If I don’t make any sense yet, it is because I am working on these thoughts but I have to get the down someplace as I ramble.
I have found a couple of references including one by Anya, whose blog I follow religiously. She posted a presentation titled The Avatar as Communication on Slideshare (http://www.slideshare.net/).
http://www.slideshare.net/anya/the-avatar-as-communication
I wish I could print the slides though so I could take notes during the podcast .. 
The podcast can be found at: http://www.nmc.org/sl/2006/10/20/slatenight/
