[-empyre-] Second Life Whiteness and Privilege

["Ricardo Peach" <r.peach@ozco.gov.au>]

In light of the issues raised so far I would be really interested to hear from people about their own experiences of race, gender and sexuality etc in Second Life. I know this is more of a cultural studies analysis, but I find these virtual worlds fascinating spaces of privilege and reification, and I wonder how we could alleviate these potentially exclusionary practices! 

We may even be able to subvert them by celebrating them!? I once met a Zulu man who had a white skin and he was having a ball exploring his whiteness, in the same way I could experience heterosexuality in ways I could not in RL! Maybe SL can offer people who do not have race, gender or sexuality prive ledge the opportunity to experience it? 

Is it just me or have others also experienced race, gender and sexuality privilege etc. (both positive and negative) in terms of skins available and interactions with people? What can we do to complicate these opportunities?

Just thinking out loud.

Ricardo
______________________________________________
Dr. Ricardo Peach
Program Manager
Inter-Arts
Australia Council
Tel:  + 61-2-9215 9110
Fax: + 61-2-9215 9062
Toll free: 1800 226 912
E-mail: r.peach@ozco.gov.au
Post: PO Box 778, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Street: 372 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
______________________________________________


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