A Conversaton with Elizabeth
1998
Internet and Identity

From:          Elizabeth
To:            larry.m.mixson@bvs.com
Date:          2/27/98 9:29am
Subject:       Internet and Identity
 
Good Morning.
"Every era constructs its own metaphors for psychological well being. Not so long ago, stability was socially valued and culturally reinforced. Rigid gender roles, repetitive labor, the expectation of being in one kind of a job or remaining in one town over a lifetime, all of these made consistency central to definitions of health. But these stable social worlds have broken down. In our time, health is described in terms of fluidity rather stability. What matters most now is the ability to adapt and change--to new jobs, new career directions, new gender roles, new technologies." Turkle. Chapter 10.
 
Sounds like our discussion.
 
"People who live parallel lives on the screen are nevertheless bound by the desires, pain, and mortality of their physical selves....Some are tempted to think of life in cyberspace as insignificant, as escape or meaningless diversion. It is not. Our experiences there are serious play." Turkle. Chapter 10.
 
We had serious threats of tornado weather so I rushed home in time to try and pick up Turkle's book at the library. I've skim read most of it. I have found it very interesting, although some of the more technological discussions I skipped. Many of the "theorists" I studied, but did not master, in graduate school. Having an online relationship took on different meanings as I read about what children are doing in the "chat rooms," as well as adults. People are really living "virtual" lives. Is living a virtual life some type of oxymoron? I really enjoyed the sections on identity, the notion of the unified self vs. the fragmented self, vs. the postmodern self. Much of my self growth work has been around the theme of "wholeness." One of the ideas I found really intriguing from Peter Berger was home simplex vs. home duplex--an integrated vs. a split self, Turkle also discusses MPD's, multiple personality disorders, and how they are and are not like leading different lives in cyberspace.
 
I'm sorry, I may be spoiling this book for you. One great advantage of a scholarly book, as hers, is that she provides citations to many other works, and some films. The "notes" are as interesting as the book. There is one film I would like to try and find, but I forget the title just now.
 
Haven't checked HM yet. Its so much easier to write/send on GW.
 
Later, possibly. EJ

Emoticons