Re: [-empyre-] Second Life Whiteness and Privilege

[<jimbudd@jimbudd.com>]

i once built a set of afro-american musician avatars for a virtual jazz band 
project at active worlds out of curiosity to re-contextualise the 'roots' of 
the music we (white guys) were playing in RL. ..paying homage etc.
this was also, inadvertently seeking privilege of 'blackness' that might 
authenticate our music.
but it was funny to notice uncomfortable reactions from one of the musicians 
when he realised he was n fact black in VR !
anyway, i think in a post-symbolic way, it forced questions of prejudices 
and even 'cultural borrowing' that sought answers from our inner-selves.
jim


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ricardo Peach" <r.peach@ozco.gov.au>
To: "On" <empyre-bounces@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au>
Cc: "soft_skinned_space" <empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au>
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 9:35 AM
Subject: [-empyre-] Second Life Whiteness and Privilege



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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