The identities shaped by online games -- World of Warcraft Dissertation

The identities shaped by online games -- World of Warcraft - Dissertation Example The emergence of online identities is not a completely new concept. People have been creating public identities with the purpose of achieving goals throughout human existence (Wallen 1998, p. 52). However, the nature of the online persona is somewhat unique in that it is done with the intention of representing an ‘otherness’ through character and skills that would not be possible in the real world. Exploring the nature of this creation provides for a greater understanding of the concept of identity. Watslawik and Born (2007, p. 2) state that â€Å"ego psychoanalytical theory places the individual within a more or less nurturing social context, as contrast with the more confrontive view of classical theory wherein the individual is seen more as contesting society†. The nature of human interaction, according to Erikson’s theory, is in finding communities in which nurture is the primary benefit. While an individual seeks a community in which shared values and beliefs are experienced, or in the case of game play, shared goals, eventually it is the sense of nurture that is built that will provide the attraction to a community (Watslawik and Born 2007). The following literature review will focus on the identity as it is positioned in an online environment as a created and semi-controlled entity. This will be discussed through the created and controlled aspect, as well as how that control is not complete as the social dynamic and the real life characteristics begin to come through to the online identity. Avatar as it Becomes Part of the Community Individual and the Avatar The nature of identity is the result of a tension between conformity and individuality. In seeking to find an identity, the individual must find a position between these two oppositional forces in order to find both acceptance and individuation. This phenomenon creates an internal conflict within which the individual seeks to find a sense of self and the acceptance of self by the community (Jackson 1984, p. 203). Through following group norms, the individual seeks to find positive interaction within the context of group identification and personal differentiation. The sense of self is defined through social identities that are evolved through group behaviours and attitudes, with the individual identity evolving through perceptions and evaluations of social situations (Korostelina 2007, p. 36). Human existence has been framed through the formation of identity within the concept of race. According to Smedley (1998), the concept of race as an identifying factor has only emerged since the 17th century. Before that time culture and kinship were the ways in which people were grouped. Where in the past, occupation and city of origin identified an individual in a ethnic way, the idea of physical differences having the power to inform the identity is relatively new. In the game of World of Warcraft, actual species differences are developed in which race become s a very important aspect of the identity of the character (Hammer and Kellner 2009, p. 597). In choosing a race, the player makes the initial step towards creating an association within the game. However,