Does my bum look big in this?

‘Super Diversity’, Representations and Realities using

Caroline Ukoumunne &Mark Webb

University of Greenwich

• To further develop the work that explored the relationship between gender, race and sexuality and other social divisions.

• For students and tutors to create, use Representations (Avatars) and experiences in Second Life to inform shared critical understandings of ‘Reality’ in first lives.

• For tasks to be geared to pedagogical intervention utilising a virtual environment.

• To explore how SL can be fun, challenging and educational linked to the training and practice.

Project Aims

Diversity

The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. • It means understanding that each individual is unique,

and recognizing our individual differences.  • These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic

status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. 

• It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. •

It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.

Project Themes

Mykeida Andretti

Zelia Blackheart

• SESSION: 1 Set up the project. Outline and discuss aims and objectives and how it fits in with Fieldwork Practice.

• SESSION: 2 Introduction to Second Life. Overview of creating avatar and showcase of popular activities. Technical requirements explained.

• SESSION: 3 Orientation and basic Second Life skills. Access and technical issues discussed. Creating an account and logging on.

• SESSION: 4 Basic demonstration of avatar creation. Create an avatar collectively for a member of the group. Discuss practice.

• SESSION: 5 Create avatars individually/in small groups. Take photographs of individuals with their avatars.

• SESSION: 6 Look at photographs of members and their avatars and discuss image. Introduction to an activity: dance. Group demonstration of how to make an avatar dance in different ways. Demonstration of how to travel to dance venues and animate the avatar. Individual practice.

• SESSION: 7 Discuss experiences of dancing and socializing in Second Life. Three group members show the group what they did. Benefits and approach to undertaking this activity with a young person.

• SESSION: 8 Select another common Second Life activity and discuss why and how it might be developed for future use in practice.

• SESSIONS: 9 Evaluation /Presentations: Group members showcase their activities, from initial avatar creation to activities. Summary and feedback. Discuss: is Second Life a viable and useful medium for exploring issues of representation and reality?

• SESSION 10 Evaluation /Presentations: Group members showcase their activities, from initial avatar creation to activities. Summary and feedback. Discuss: is Second Life a viable and useful medium for exploring issues of representation and reality?

Programme of Work

A Few Avatars

EvaluationOverview of Project

• The students ages range from 18- 50, and they are drawn from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds that reflects the diversity of the Youth and community student intake.

• The diversity of the student group is matched by the wide range of IT abilities.

• More group work was required than first expected about SL and individuals perceptions, ideas, fears and concerns were evident.

• A middle-aged black woman expressed enthusiasm about producing an avatar that was white and female. A young female student expressed an interest in creating an avatar with a disability.

• The project team also reflects the diversity of the students.

• Students were willing and open-minded in selecting their choice of avatars and this willingness to embrace a range of identities that reflect questions of gender, race, class, disability and sexuality.

Difficulties

• The project has taken longer to set up than anticipated mainly due getting to grips with the technical problems and possible difficulties participants might face when undertaking tasks.

• We have had to pace any development of integrating Second Life work to the existing Equality and Diversity course (Year 1) and the relevant online support /guidance in anticipation of the range of IT skills, abilities and confidence of all students.

• We have therefore allocated more time to test tasks (ie creating avatars, undertaking simple tasks.) The testing or undertaking has involved ensuring the challenges are fun, challenging educational and inclusive.

• Youth and Community students are on placements in addition to their degree work and online times have to be allocated according to these time constraints.

• We have discussed the ethics of participation in SL that are linked specifically to the project and students will be expected to sign a contract that lays out agreed ground rules and codes of conduct for the project.