Toward a Theory of Critical Computing: The Case of Social Identity Representation in Digital Media Applications

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dc.contributor.authorHarrell, D. Fox
dc.date.accessioned2015-11-25T23:42:42Z
dc.date.available2015-11-25T23:42:42Z
dc.date.copyright2009en_US
dc.date.issued2009-06-05
dc.description.abstractThe affordances of the computational medium offer particular means through which social and cultural critique can be posed. I have introduced the term “polymorphic poetics” as the computational means through which computational representations of imaginative semantic constructs become dynamic, interactive, and generative. Here, I propose polymorphic poetics as a means to enable “critical computing.” As a case study, I present recent work theory and technology for developing empowering, transformative, and critical representations of users’ identities such as player characters, avatars, or social networking profiles. Current representations are typically inadequate for conveying subjective social identity experiences and fail to engage diverse insights regarding social categorization and identity construction from cognitive science and cultural theory. Hence, computational social identity representation infrastructures often reinforce stereotyped identity construction and experience patterns as opposed to allowing for critical identity construction. I provide an account of this phenomenon and propose new technologies to do better.en_US
dc.description.reviewstatusUnrevieweden_US
dc.description.scholarlevelFacultyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipSSHRC Image, Text, Sound and Technology Summer Institute, Workshop and Conference Grant – Critical Digital Studies Workshopen_US
dc.identifier.citationHarrell, D. Fox. "Toward a Theory of Critical Computing: The Case of Social Identity Representation in Digital Media Applications." Pacific Centre for Technology and Culture, Victoria, B.C. 5 June 2009. Presentation.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://pactac.net/2009/06/toward-a-theory-of-critical-computing-the-case-of-social-identity-representation-in-digital-media-applications/
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/6866
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherPacific Centre for Technology and Cultureen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesCritical Digital Studies Workshopsen_US
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/*
dc.subjectcritical computing
dc.subjectdigital media
dc.subjectavatars
dc.subjectpolymorphic poetics
dc.subjectsocial networking profiles
dc.subjectcognitive science
dc.subjectsocial and cultural critique
dc.subjectcomputational identity
dc.subjectcritical identity construction
dc.subjectPacific Centre for Technology and Culture (PACTAC)
dc.titleToward a Theory of Critical Computing: The Case of Social Identity Representation in Digital Media Applicationsen_US
dc.typeVideoen_US

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