[Air-L] Using ANT as ethos and method

Sisse Siggaard Jensen sisse at ruc.dk
Tue Feb 10 08:16:01 PST 2009


Dear Tamara,
I'm running a research project "Sense-making and user-driven innovation 
in Virtual Worlds" from 2008-2011 http://worlds.ruc.dk/index.php, and in 
the project description one of the basic theoretical references is to 
actor-network theory - and I agree with Jeremy about the after-ANT 
approach ;-). This autumn, I presented a paper (work-in-progess) at the 
ECREA conference in Barcelona with an analyses of innovation based on 
the idea of the tensions between programs and anti-programs (Latour 
1991), and last week I submitted an article to the Nordic journal 
MediaCulture with reference to the concepts of intermediaries and 
mediators (Latour 2005). The abstract is as follows:

"Over the past five years, millions of actors have perceived it as 
meaningful to move in and settle down in the Metaverse, either as an 
adventurous shaman in an advanced role-playing game such as EverQuest or 
as a businesswoman in the social world of Second Life. In this article, 
the main question therefore is: how do the actors and gamers of the two 
types of virtual worlds make sense of their avatars and the worlds when 
they act and communicate using their avatars as personal mediators? 
Participatory observations inspired by virtual ethnography and in-depth 
video-interviews have been conducted to answer the question. The 
analysis of the substantial amount of empirical data draws on the 
concepts of intermediaries and mediators from actor-network theory 
(Latour, 1991, 1998, 2005), Sense-Making methodology (Dervin et al., 
2003), social-psychology (Yee, 2006), and experimental economics 
(Bloomfield, 2008). It is shown, how the actors create a personal story 
and history of their avatar that transforms them into the mediators of 
being in the virtual world, and also how the avatars act as the 
mediators that transform the actors themselves. To identify, understand, 
and keep track of the many transformations of meaning, Nick Yee’s 
motivation factors (relationships, immersion, achievement, escapism, and 
manipulation) have proven helpful also to the analysis of a social world 
like Second Life. In future studies, it is recommended that we study 
further the sense-makings of motivation factors such as creativity and 
experimentation."

If you are interested, I'll email the article to you.
Sisse ;-)

Tamara Paradis wrote:
> Hi all
>
> I'm working on a graduate project that explores the controversies and
> understandings of MMO gaming as valid leisure. I'm curious what is it about
> MMO gaming that results in it being viewed as geeky, strange, "luser-ish",
> etc. I've been struck by the ways in which MMO gamers themselves, as well as
> everday non-gaming folks and mass media reportage (outside of financial
> reports!) seem to accept that MMO gaming is somehow a type of strange and
> suspect pursuit.
>
> I've long been intrigued with the work of Bruno Latour and others from SST
> and material culture studies who use an Actor-Network Theory (ANT) approach
> to studying the world and its phenomenon. I am drawn to the ethos of ANT
> which flattens the divide between researcher and the researched, and which
> advocates jettisoning old notions of society and "the social", and the old
> (artificial?) divides between micro/macro, structure/individual,
> power/domination etc. in the interests of letting the actions tell the story
> of the results. I'm equlally drawn but intimidated by the methods built into
> ANT -- the mapping of actors and connections and associations.
>
> I'm trying to convince a reluctant adviser that an ANT approach is a valid
> way of studying my research question. Given the digital focus and the desire
> to use ANT as ethos and method, as well as the ways in which ANT approaches
> study and fieldwork, I'm having a rough go of it.  I'm wondering if any of
> you are using ANT or have used it in the past for qualitiative research
> purposes (e.g. virtual ethnography; findings reporting; etc.). If you have
> done so in the past, are in the midst of doing so now or are at least
> intrigued by the possibilities, I'd be interested in talking with you
> off-list.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Tamara Paradis
> tparadis at connect.carleton.ca
> tsparadis at gmail.com
> Carleton University - Sociology & Anthropology
> Ottawa, ON, Canada
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-- 
Sisse Siggaard Jensen, associate professor, Ph. D.
SL avatarname: Chenet Shan, SL Island: Research Island Denmark
Department for Communication, Business, and Informations Technologies
Research group: Knowledge production and communication forms
Research project: Sense-making and innovation in virtual worlds
P.O. Box 260, DK-4000 Roskilde
sisse at ruc.dk, http://worlds.ruc.dk/
+ 4674 3771, +45 2092 6094; Skype: sisse.siggaard.jensen 




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