Global Haves and Have-nots

COM 327February 19 2013

1. Quiz2. Upcoming stuff3. Group presentation4. Prezi: “Gold Farming”

Quiz!

1. According to Guo, Hsu, Holton, and Jeong, the focus on the sweatshop issue has largely shifted from the garment and toy industries to the ________ industry, including Foxconn.

a) miningb) moviemakingc) aviationd) electronics

2. “Sociologist Erving Goffman described ________ as ‘schemata(s) of interpretation’ that allow individuals ‘to locate, perceive, identify, and label issues, events, and topics’ (1974: 21).” For example, the Times often used ‘human rights abuser’ as one when it reported on the Foxconn suicides. a) labelsb) framesc) newspapersd) lies

3. From Nakamura: “Gold farmers are reviled player-workers whose positions in the gamic economy resembles that of other immigrant groups who cross national borders in order to work, but unlike other types of ‘‘migrant’’ workers, their labors are offshore, and thus invisible---they are ‘‘__________ migrants.’’”

a) good for nothingb) virtualc) symbolicd) Communist

4. According to Nakamura, videos like Ni Hao are examples of:

a) attempts to “racialize” a virtual environment in which ‘real world’ identities are supposed to be invisibleb) negative trends in participatory culturec) the economic inequalities between North American players and Chinese gold farmersd) all of the above

Upcoming business

1. Nick gone this Thursday – Emily teaching!

2. GameMaker workshop?

3. “Power Map”

4. Midterm

“Power map” – using Prezi

• Sign up for the EDUCATIONAL LICENSE: http://Prezi.com/pricing/edu

When you’re done: “Share” the Prezi and send the link to Emily & I

Midterm

February 26 class: Midterm review

Two ‘short essay’ questions

Sample question:Explain the differences between the ritual and transmission models of communication, using MACHINIMA as an example. Using this example, discuss what makes the ritual model more ‘critical’ (in terms of the ideas of ‘power’, ‘visibility’, and ‘change’)?

GROUP PRESENTATION!

Nakamura’s “Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the Game”

• Highlights the extremes of globalization w/ regards to digital media: we not only outsource the production of our devices – we outsource our PLAY.

• Shows the connections between our leisure and their labor

• This happens through the same racist stereotypes that were used to depict racialized labor 100 years ago!

Cuts through a series of “either/ors”:

• Work vs play

• Virtual vs physical

• Cultural studies vs Political economy