Assembling a Webpoker-Identity. In Search of Playful and Gameful Components

Author(s):

Sandra Sklenofsky

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

21. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Paper

Session Information

SES B4, Pre Conf Parallel Session

Time:

2009-09-25

11:00-12:30

Room:

HG, HS 28

Chair:

Gottfried Biewer

Contribution

One of the major targets in the scope of game studies is the question how computer games transform the (re)construction and the understanding of personal and cultural identities and lead to the development of playful identities (cf. Raessens 2006: 52 and 55). To agree with this aspect it should be modified with the theory of a patchwork-identity of Heiner Keupp (cf. Keupp 1999), who talks about a lot of multiple parts of identities. Following this idea, the playful identity (identities) is (are) one part of the patchwork which is arranged in the personal and cultural identities. The parts of identities have an influence on each other and transform the patchwork when one identity-part varies. The conclusion is that not only the playful identity transforms the cultural and personal identities but also vice versa. The postmodern self is flexible, multiple, fragmented and alterable and the visions of the future are parts of identity-projects. The emotions and activities differ between irony, amusement, hedonism, despair and isolation (cf. Kraus: 232f). Webpoker may be an expression of these individual and collective transformations. The culture of simulation actualizes the idea of a multiform but integrated identity of multiple (cf. Turkle 1999: 437f) or provisorily selfs of a collage (cf. Gergen 1991: 212). The internet and the online and computer games are a concept of the polymorphic partial ludic identities. In the term of Webpoker you can switch from table to table, from game to game and you can act as loose or tight gamer, even if you are not a fish (a newcomer) under sharks (professionals). In what ways does Webpoker transform the patchwork-identity of the individual and lead to other forms of ludic (playful or gameful) identities? One aspect of extension arises with the question of if and in what way a concept of ‘gameful identities’ can be useful in this term? Webpoker is more a game because the money that can be won has a purposeful character and can lead to addiction in the worst case. A gameful identity has to deal with parameters of pathological gaming and alienation (Israel 1979, Schaff 1980, Jaeggi 2005, in summary see Sklenofsky 2008). Therefore the difference between the terminus play and game will be important: play considers that somebody plays spontaneously and unselfishly whereas game means forms of games which are arranged, controlled, institutionalised and purposeful (cf. Stöger 2005, Wenz 2006: 39f, Huizinga 1950).

Method

In this project a methodology of discourse theory will be used (cf. Jäger 1993/2006, Foucault 2002) in order to argue theories of postmodern and ludic identities with reference to the genre of Webpoker and the individual who is playing online. Kenneth Gergen is talking about a postmodern turn of deconstruction and reconstruction of identity and mixed personality as a social product without group demands (cf. Gergen 1991: 226, 236 and 241f). This aspect is representative for the individual, ludic, and cultural diversifications. The empirical case studies are based on the theoretical background of construction of identity of the active Austrian Webpoker-player. Does the player/gamer perceive himself/herself depending on the behaviour while playing, the age, the participation in a digital lifestyle, the stake and the distribution of profit either as soldier-of-fortune or as tactician? What kind of playful or gameful identity does the individual player construct himself/herself?

Expected Outcomes

The aim of the project will result in a theory of identity in this special domain by integrating concepts of playful and gameful identities into a concept of ludic identity. Qualitative case studies will clarify and verify the theoretical background of “Webpoker-identities” of loose-passive playing fishes and tight-aggressive playing sharks. The hypothesis is that Webpoker-tacticians who perceive themselves as skilful are playing more tables at the same time with a lower percentage of their bankroll. These gamers are winning more often than those who are playing occasionally with higher stake and perceive themselves as lucky players. These parameters have an impact on the construction of a ludic identity which opens up new options for descriptions of alienation in the domain of Webpoker (identities) and chances the patchwork (Keupp) or collage (Gergen).

References

Foucault, Michel (2002): Archaeology of knowledge. United Kingdom: Routledge Classics. Gergen, Kenneth J. (1991): The Satured Self. Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life. America: Basic Books. Huizinga, Johan (1950): Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture. New York: Roy Publishers. Israel, Joachim (1979): Alienation from Marx to modern sociology. A macrosociological analysis. New Jersey/Sussex: Humanities Press. Jäger Siegfried (1993): Kritische Diskursanalyse. Eine Einführung. Duisburg: DISS-Studien. Jäger, Siegfried (2006): Diskurs und Wissen. Theoretische und methodische Aspekte einer Kritischen Diskurs- und Dispositivanalyse. In: Keller, Reiner; Hirseland, Andreas; Schneider, Werner & Viehöver, Willy (eds.): Handbuch sozialwissenschaftliche Diskursanalyse. Wiesbaden: Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, S. 81-112. Jaeggi, Rahel (2005): Entfremdung. Zur Aktualität eines sozialphilosophischen Problems. Frankfurt am Main: Campus Verlag. Keupp, Heiner et alii (1999): Identitätskonstruktionen. Das Patchwork der Identitäten in der Spätmoderne. Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag. Kraus, Wolfgang (2000): Das erzählte Selbst. Die narrative Konstruktion von Identität in der Spätmoderne. Münchner Studien zur Kultur- und Sozialpsychologie, Band 8. Herbolzheim: Centaurus Verlag, 2. Auflage. Raessens, Joost (2006): Playful Identities, or the Ludification of Culture. In: Games and Culture. A Journal of Interactive Media 1. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, pp. 52-57. Schaff, Adam (1980): Alienation as a Social Phenomenon. Franklin Book Co. Sklenofsky, Sandra (2008): Entfremdung im Spannungsfeld psychischer Krankheit und psychischer Gesundheit. Der Versuch einer Vernetzung psychologisch-pädagogischer und sozioökonomischer Faktoren. Diplomarbeit an der Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck, Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften: Januar 2008. Stöger, Peter (2005): Das Spiel – Ortungsversuche. Innsbruck: Studia Universitätsverlag. Turkle, Sherry (1999): Leben im Netz. Identität in Zeiten des Internet. Deutsch von Thorsten Schmidt. Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag. English version: Turkle, Sherry (1995): Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. New York: Simon & Schuster. Wenz, Karin (2006): Game Art. In: Neitzel, Britta und Nohr, Rolf F. (eds.): Das Spiel mit dem Medium. Partizipation – Immersion – Interaktion. Schriftenreihe der Gesellschaft für Medienwissenschaft (GfM) 14. Marburg: Schüren Verlag, S. 39-47.

Author Information

Sandra Sklenofsky

University of Innsbruck, Austria

Media Studies

Innsbruck

Update Modus of this Database

The current conference programme can be browsed in the conference management system (conftool) and, closer to the conference, in the conference app.
This database will be updated with the conference data after ECER.

Search the ECER Programme

Search for keywords and phrases in "Text Search"
Restrict in which part of the abstracts to search in "Where to search"
Search for authors and in the respective field.
For planning your conference attendance, please use the conference app, which will be issued some weeks before the conference and the conference agenda provided in conftool.
If you are a session chair, best look up your chairing duties in the conference system (Conftool) or the app.