Essay Proposal

For my essay I want to explore identity in the digital domain, how we construct identities in the online world. Online identity VS real identity. I want to explore theories and examples of these online identities and the rise of this as an identity form with the rise of technology and the internet. People now have different perceptions of us online and offline. Is our online identity a mask? It enables us to constantly update ourselves, update our personalities, construct multiple versions of ourselves.

Essay Title;  

Discuss how we construct our identity in the digital domain, how does our digital identity differ from reality of our self in everyday life? Is the identity we construct online presenting a true version of self or an ideology?

Main points of the essay;

• Our online identity as an idealogical construction.
• Digital identities are a very recent form of identity, new culture of social networking.
• Social networks propell the construction of multiple identities.
• How much of our online self is true; online identity VS reality.
• Online identities enable us to 'update' ourselves.
• Is the way we act within our online selves the same as in reality?

Research sources (internet, books, journals);

• 'Identity' Zymunt Bauman
• 'Identity as Performance' Judith Butler - Need to find
• 'Identity Management' Erving Goffman - Need to find
• 'Identity and Difference' Katherine Woodward
• 'Media, Gender and Identity' David Gauntlett
• 'The Law of the virtual worlds and internet social networks' Andrew Sparrow
• 'Cyburbia' James Harkin
  

Task 3; Constructing the Other

Compile an annotated photo essay that analyses the visual and linguistic construction of a specific other within a magazine, journal, periodical, newspaper, zine of your choice. Concentrate on how text supports image, and vice versa. You could focus on gender, race, class, sexuality, fashion, etc but make sure that you comment on how the construction of such an 'other' secures and stabilises the identity, and sense of self, of the publication's core audience

This article in The Guardian magazine reports about rape within the US military. We are presented with images of the victims and their stories seperated by advertisements for products and holidays. This is presenting othering, inbetween reading about these horrific events and experiences, the audience is encouraged to read the advertisement, becoming distracted from the article. We are not fully able to comprehend what has happened.

Advertisement for pubs alongside the title page for the article.

Boots advertisement placed next to accounts.

Holiday advertisement.

On each page, for each person recounting their experience, there is a photograph of them in the military and a photograph of them now. These photographs however, do not reflect the severity of the subject within the article. We hear about how no one would take the accusations seriously and are presented with statistics. The audience reads the numbers, 3,158 reported sexual crimes only 529 reaching the courtroom. These statistcs, although shocking, do not sink in as we turn the page to a make up advert and are distracted by this before carrying on reading.

This, the second Boots advertisement placed next to the article. These adverts for make up clearly aimed at women, presenting othering from the women and subject again as it is trying to draw the audience into buying make up. Placing this advert next to an article of rape against women seems insensitive and detatching the reader from the subject of the article.

The last part of the article is account of a man named Rick Tringale who experienced rape and became AWOL from the military as no one would believe him. Accompanying his story is an advertisement for Xbox.

Task 2; The Gaze

'according to usage and conventions which are at last being questioned but have by no means been overcome - men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at’ (Berger 1972, 45, 47)

Discuss this quote with reference to one work of art and one work from the contemporary media

This quote by Berger suggests that the portrayal of women is being questioned, however the foundation of this view will never really be overcome, there is a questioning but not a shift away from this representation. Women will constantly be viewed in this way, they know people are looking at them and they are on display. Men are presented as strong, dominant figures and women are posing.

 Alexandre Cabanel ‘Birth of Venus’ 1873

The body positioning in 'Birth of Venus' reveals most of her body and only a little bit of her head, she looks as if she has awoken from sleep. Her face slightly covered by her hand as if she is being coy, the positioning of her body contradicts this. According to the quote and this view she knows that the viewer is looking and the body positioning and composition of the image invites us to look at her. Her arm over her head creates a relaxed feeling as if she enjoys being there to be looked at. The woman, surrounded by cherubs, admiring her figure in the middle of the ocean.  

There are countless advertisements for clothes, perfumes and all sorts that represent women in the way Berger describes as a convention. This Calvein Klein advertisement presents the woman's body and figure to be looked at and displayed. As the quote comments she 'appears', she is still, with her gaze fixed to the viewer. She knows the viewer is looking and is carefully positioned so the viewer can look at her body. The woman is objectified, the pose seems simple however behind it is a lot of planning. She is 'watching herself being looked at'. The image is not subtle, its as if she is just waiting to be looked at constantly, this image constructed for the male gaze.