I definitely agree with Bauman's dismissal of many contemporary forms of something-like-community as "peg communities"-as coat pegs on which we choose to temporarily hang parts of our identities (Bell, 255).
As social networking plays an important and prominent role in my life. I still don't give my full "self" or identity on it, I only give a part of who I am. Little snipets and tidbits of my life, or of my identity. Mostly on facebook my statuses are about school, work, and every now and again my home life. But these are only part of my identity at that particular moment of my life when I update. That is not who I am at every second, every moment of my being. Only those who know me in real life know my true identity, but even in that sense, it's not my full identity, just what they are allowed to know or see about me. But my social/virtual communities are an extension of who I am, nonetheless.
For some people, yes, virtual communities are "peg communities" that are "bonds without consequence" like Bauman describes (Bell, 258), but not for all. Bell writes, based off Giddens, that it might be possible to rewrite peg communities as pure communities as collectives entered into with eyes-wide-open, not stumbled into blinded by tradition and obligation (258).
In the end I agree with Bell, "who are we to say that what someone names a community isn't what we think w a community should look like?" (Bell, 261). Even if we don't give our full identity, we are still engaging in one, which makes us a part of it regardless. There are no rules that say how much of one's identity must be given for the community to remain true, or exist.
Bell, David, and Barbara M. Kennedy. eds. The Cybercultures Reader. 2nd Ed. London:
Routledge. 254-264. Print.
Design21: Social Design Network
http://jump.dexigner.com/directory/9389
deviantArt
http://jump.dexigner.com/directory/7266
Cataci
http://jump.dexigner.com/directory/13251
These are all design communities. I picked these sites because I am a designer and it is a nice way for other designers to come together and play off eachother's creativity and knowledge, as well as give/offer great resources for creativity and/or career advancement. These different communities offer different things for different designers that could, and are greatly beneficial, but all have design in mind as the common thread.
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Whoa!--Adrianna, I am confused. Are you saying that it sort of depends on the community when you say you agree with Bell and Bauman?
ReplyDeletePaul, there is only one n in my name, and i am saying it depends on the community as well as the individual!! They both have great valid points, but it depends on how much the individual is willing to give of themself.
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