RE: Jim Gee on 3 identities in videogaming

From: Eugene Matusov (ematusov@udel.edu)
Date: Thu Dec 25 2003 - 19:53:44 PST


Andy, please try http://ematusov.soe.udel.edu/gee.htm I linked jpg pictures
on the page. I hope it will help. I wonder why your Acrobat Reader does not
work – maybe you should get a new version from
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

 

Eugene

 

  _____

From: Andy Blunden [mailto:ablunden@mira.net]
Sent: Thursday, December 25, 2003 7:52 PM
To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
Subject: Re: Jim Gee on 3 identities in videogaming

 

Nice try Eugene. But this one failed as well! Can you try converting it to a
different format. I am busting with anticipation!!
:)
Andy
At 07:48 PM 25/12/2003 -0500, you wrote:

 

Andy and others, you can access Gees text at

http://ematusov.soe.udel.edu/Gee,%203%20identities%20in%20videogaming,%20200
3.pdf

 

Eugene

 

  _____

From: Andy Blunden [mailto:ablunden@mira.net]
Sent: Thursday, December 25, 2003 7:26 PM
To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
Subject: RE: Mead, Honneth and role-taking play

 

Could you send that pdf again Eugene. I got an error when I tried to open
it.
Andy

 

Dear Andy and everybody

 

I have started describing Gees 3 identities in videogaming (person, player,
and character) but then I decided to scan Gees small section describing his
notions. Sorry for this laziness (and poor quality of my home scanner) but I
think Gee in his own voice explains better than I.

 

Please share your ideas and observations while reading this fragment of Gees
book. In my view, his observations are helpful but a bit too
individualistic& but lets talk after you read his piece.

 

Eugene

 

  _____

From: Andy Blunden [mailto:ablunden@mira.net]
Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2003 7:53 PM
To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
Subject: RE: Mead, Honneth and role-taking play

 

Thank you Eugene!
You know it's so easy to learn from an old Marxist (Elkonin) that some
concept (role-play) is an historical product, and then in the very next
minute forget to reflect on the work that history has done since, in
producing one's own times!!

Just one question about Gee's idea: What is meant by the "emerging
three-fold identities in a player during video games"? I am totally
intrigued and cannot guess!

Andy
At 12:22 PM 24/12/2003 -0500, you wrote:

Dear Andy and everybody

 

Andy, let me add my 0.2 cents to your discussion. It is a bit arrogant for
me to contribute since role-taking play is not my area, so sorry if my naïve
comments offend somebody who specializes in this area&

 

I think that in time of Vygotsky, Elkonin (senior), Mead, and Honneth,
role-taking plays were predominately childrens activities in Western
cultures and thus were seen as developmental(see Elkonins notion of leading
activitiesassociated with ontogenesis). The closest adult activity to
role-taking plays that was legitimate and recognizable by the (high?)
society was literature writing (theater performance, unless fully
improvisational, was too scripted) which has never involved mass
participation of general adult public. Currently, with explosion of computer
and video games, the situation is rapidly changing. Role-taking plays become
legitimate (widespread) adult activities in Western societies (I do not know
history enough to claim that in past role-taking games had been also
legitimate adult activities recognized by the society but I suspect that
role-taking plays were always with adults in some forms of fantasies that
were not recognized by the society).

 

I think that the recent book by Jim Gee

Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and
literacy (1st ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

 

is the first sign that this change is recognized by the academia. I found
that Jims analysis of emerging three-fold identities in a player during
video games is somewhat similar to Bakhtins analysis of relationship between
author and his/her character (in Bakhtins earlier writing see his book Art
and answerability). I think that non-developmental perspectives can provide
us with more insights about the nature of role-taking plays.

 

What do you think?

 

Eugene

 



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