Folklore of the virtual elves : social identity construction and performance in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG)
Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2011. Folklore Bibliography: leaves 127-134. As virtual worlds gain popularity, they are quickly becoming places of online culture. Within these cultural contexts, players are re-inventing themselves through postmodern constructions of identity. Th...
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ftmemorialunivdc:oai:collections.mun.ca:theses5/19861 2023-05-15T17:23:28+02:00 Folklore of the virtual elves : social identity construction and performance in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Staple, Benjamin, 1985- Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Folklore 2010 v, 142 leaves : col. ill. Image/jpeg; Application/pdf http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses5/id/19861 Eng eng Electronic Theses and Dissertations (18.66 MB) -- http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/theses/Staple_Benjamin.pdf http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses5/id/19861 The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Paper copy kept in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University Libraries Internet games--Social aspects Warhammer (Game)--Social aspects Group identity Text Electronic thesis or dissertation 2010 ftmemorialunivdc 2015-08-06T19:22:48Z Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2011. Folklore Bibliography: leaves 127-134. As virtual worlds gain popularity, they are quickly becoming places of online culture. Within these cultural contexts, players are re-inventing themselves through postmodern constructions of identity. This M.A. thesis explores the role of folklore in the virtual identity construction and performance within the online community of the massively multi-player online role-playing game Warhammer Online. As a product of popular culture, Warhammer Online acts as both a construction of commercialism and as a site of vernacular culture. Player communities participate in a power relationship with the development company as they negotiate the cultural commodification of play experience and vernacular appropriation. Flows of knowledge and folklore within these relationships pattern players' experience of Warhammer Online and contribute to the broader migration of player groups between virtual worlds themselves. Employing ethnographic techniques, this thesis traces the experience of players through phenomenological embodiment and self-perception in avatar creation to social performance in negotiating existential authenticity and community conflict. Thesis Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland Memorial University of Newfoundland: Digital Archives Initiative (DAI) |
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Memorial University of Newfoundland: Digital Archives Initiative (DAI) |
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English |
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Internet games--Social aspects Warhammer (Game)--Social aspects Group identity |
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Internet games--Social aspects Warhammer (Game)--Social aspects Group identity Staple, Benjamin, 1985- Folklore of the virtual elves : social identity construction and performance in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) |
topic_facet |
Internet games--Social aspects Warhammer (Game)--Social aspects Group identity |
description |
Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2011. Folklore Bibliography: leaves 127-134. As virtual worlds gain popularity, they are quickly becoming places of online culture. Within these cultural contexts, players are re-inventing themselves through postmodern constructions of identity. This M.A. thesis explores the role of folklore in the virtual identity construction and performance within the online community of the massively multi-player online role-playing game Warhammer Online. As a product of popular culture, Warhammer Online acts as both a construction of commercialism and as a site of vernacular culture. Player communities participate in a power relationship with the development company as they negotiate the cultural commodification of play experience and vernacular appropriation. Flows of knowledge and folklore within these relationships pattern players' experience of Warhammer Online and contribute to the broader migration of player groups between virtual worlds themselves. Employing ethnographic techniques, this thesis traces the experience of players through phenomenological embodiment and self-perception in avatar creation to social performance in negotiating existential authenticity and community conflict. |
author2 |
Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Folklore |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Staple, Benjamin, 1985- |
author_facet |
Staple, Benjamin, 1985- |
author_sort |
Staple, Benjamin, 1985- |
title |
Folklore of the virtual elves : social identity construction and performance in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) |
title_short |
Folklore of the virtual elves : social identity construction and performance in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) |
title_full |
Folklore of the virtual elves : social identity construction and performance in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) |
title_fullStr |
Folklore of the virtual elves : social identity construction and performance in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Folklore of the virtual elves : social identity construction and performance in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) |
title_sort |
folklore of the virtual elves : social identity construction and performance in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (mmorpg) |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses5/id/19861 |
genre |
Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland |
genre_facet |
Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland |
op_source |
Paper copy kept in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University Libraries |
op_relation |
Electronic Theses and Dissertations (18.66 MB) -- http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/theses/Staple_Benjamin.pdf http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses5/id/19861 |
op_rights |
The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. |
_version_ |
1766112466039734272 |