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Full-Text Articles in Anthropology
Body Language: Avatars, Identity Formation, And Communicative Interaction In Vrchat, Cristina Montemorano
Body Language: Avatars, Identity Formation, And Communicative Interaction In Vrchat, Cristina Montemorano
Student Research Submissions
What meanings do actors attach to their avatars in virtual reality platforms? How does a person’s relationship with their selected avatar impact their communications with other persons in virtual reality settings? In this thesis, Montemorano seeks to answer these questions through qualitative, ethnographic fieldwork that she conducted in 2019 in the virtual reality space known as VRChat, and in connection with anthropological literature on embodiment, sociality, and personhood. This thesis details the author’s research findings, provides a brief historical background on virtual worlds and avatars, and discusses several noteworthy ethnographic studies of virtual worlds such as Boellstorff’s Coming of Age …