Ryan Saunders
WRIT 1133
Lesson Plan #2
-How to invent an argument by formulating and testing a hypothesis
To invent an argument by formulating and testing a hypothesis is actually fairly easy. Your hypothesis can be literally anything that can be tested and proved wrong or right. It stems from a theory or question that you want answered or to be discovered. The hypothesis is your prediction of what is going to happen. The best part is that your theory can be about anything, as long as your hypothesis is testable. For example, you can make it about: art, science, human nature, movies and music, the list is nearly endless. The most important thing to keep in mind is that to prove your hypothesis right is to try to prove it wrong. What I mean by this is you need to try all routes to see if it is in any way wrong. To test your hypothesis, you need to tailor it to your theory. For example, if your hypothesis has to do with DU students, a good way to find an answer would be to interview actual DU students about your topic of choice. It is important to gather as much information as possible so you can come to a well-informed and rational conclusion with solid facts and evidence supporting or disproving your hypothesis.
Steps to Take:
1. Find a theory or idea that you can test
2. Predict an outcome, this prediction becomes your hypothesis
3. Narrow down what type of hypothesis you want to make
4. Think about how to prove and disprove it
5. Gather the research and information you need
6. Make sure your gathered information covers both sides of the hypothesis
7. Once you have compiled your research test it
What I did:
I tested a hypothesis about human social interaction through the online community Second Life. I first thought of a theory: basic human social interactions will not change. From that I developed a hypothesis, when given the option to completely change the way we interact with each other, basic human social functions will not change. I used Second Life to interview and observe if I could see a change in social interactions given a new way of communication. I tried to prove that they had changed, but I came to discover that they haven’t.
Assignment:
Come up with a question and a hypothesis to something that applies to students at DU. For example, how "green" DU students actually are. You must actually survey various students at DU to test your hypothesis. In addition to surveys, you must do research to find out if surveys like yours have already been conducted and what the results were, any history or background information you can give on your topic and how and why it applies to DU students.
Ryan Saunders
WRIT 1133
Ethnography on Virtual Communities
Introduction
As asserted by both Neil Postman and Howard Rheingold, technology evolves according to the humans that create it. It is constantly renewing and reinventing itself based on what we, as humans, need. We can see this in both Rheingold and Postman’s writing. Postman discusses the evolution of technology: from the invention of the stirrup, which revolutionized warfare at the time, all the way to present day technological advances which have literally consumed American lives. He uses many examples of how technology has affected various communities as well as how communities can affect the technology at hand. Rheingold also discusses the evolution of technology but in a more specific manner. He talks about the development of online communities and discussion groups. These groups can be manipulated to help a cause or inform the public.
According to these writers, it is inevitable that online communities will evolve. The question is: How? I move that they will evolve in a way that almost completely mirrors our human social interactions and codes. Postman assumes a technopoly –“the submission of cultural like to the sovereignty of technique and technology”—exists. However, when technology gives humans the opportunity to rewrite their interpersonal relations by completely immersing themselves in a virtual world, the basic fundamentals of human nature will remain the same. No matter how much we rely on technology, it will not alter our basic instincts. Although technology allows us to recreate ourselves in a more appealing image, we will not change how we interact with others. As a result of this unwavering instinct, they will form various social cliques which each serve a different purpose, depending on the individuals specific needs. This evolution of the virtual community can be observed in one of the largest virtual communities, Second Life, which allows people from all over the world to create a representation of themselves in the form of an avatar. Using their avatars, they can socialize via this artificial world. Rheingold’s theory follows this idea more closely. In his book he discusses how people will use technology to their advantage and serve their own interests.
Methods:
I used various methods to accomplish my research. My first step was to become a participant-observer in Second Life and conduct an ethnography. I created a Second Life avatar of my own. Doing this allowed me to be a part of this online community and “fit in.” Next, I explored various parts of the game. I would randomly teleport to assorted locations. I could end up anywhere from a seaside city to a castle on a secluded island. Once in a new location, I would use my avatar to explore and observe all the social interactions between groups and individuals. I then attempted to penetrate these groups, in order to figure out who these people were and what their purpose for joining the social circle was. I asked questions like:
• Why did you join Second Life?
• Who do you generally interact with?
• Do you have your own social niche, wherein you really only talk to the people in that particular group?
• Do you like to meet new people and find new groups?
• Why join this social group?
• How did this group form?
After asking these questions, I would write down their responses and a little note about what I thought the answer meant. After asking these groups and getting an idea of what the social groups were like I went back and observed again, trying to look through a different, more educated set of eyes. My results are as follows.
Results:
Through my research I uncovered an unending number of social groups. Every one of the groups was diverse. Size was one variance that made each group different. For one, there are many larger communities that consist of an entire city. Often, groups do not allow just anyone to join; you must either be invited or know the creator of that particular community. For instance, I randomly found a replica of Sunnydale, the city where television character, Buffy the Vampire Slayer lived. The description said it was for Buffy-based avatars. Obviously, I wasn’t allowed full access to this community because I was not a member or a Buffy enthusiast. Within many cities, spontaneous social groups have formed. Group size ranges from three to fifteen or twenty avatars. The groups consist of people from all over the world. Although they didn’t know each other in real life, they all shared a common interest or desire for someone to talk to. For example, I found one social gathering of people who would meet in the same bar at least once a week to discuss politics. Their sole purpose was to meet with these same eight people and bring each other up to speed on current events.
After I observed my surroundings, I started talked to individuals and people in different groups. First, I wanted to talk with people who were wandering the cities alone. By talking to individuals, I could potentially disprove that human are naturally social creatures. I discovered that individuals are hard to find. I met a few avatars to ask questions to. I started with my basic questions. “Why did you join Second life?” I got responses such as: “I want to escape the real world,” “I thought it looked like fun,” or ”I want to meet new people.” There were conversations that went longer than one question. One man couldn’t find anywhere in the real world to fit in. He joined Second Life with hopes that he could find people he could relate to. I asked him if there were any particular groups he wanted to join. He responded, “Yes, I would love to find a group who is interested in crossword puzzles. I love crossword puzzles.” He was currently in the process of looking for a community within Second Life devoted to the discussion and solving of crossword puzzles.
Once I finished interviewing individuals, I moved onto small groups. I began in a city and walked around until I found a group of people dancing in a club. I asked “Are you with these people most of the time, or did you just come upon this group randomly?” One response was “I just found this place and it looked like fun so I decided to hang out for a while.” Another response was, “I am always in this club and meet tons of new people who come and go.” Either way, all of these people wanted to be apart of a group. I used the teleporter to place my avatar in a castle on an island. It was an odd place. I saw avatars dressed as vampires, princesses and even a monkey in a tuxedo. I asked if this was more of a permanent group. I got a couple responses that mostly said that they pretty much stay there and talk to the people that hang out there. It seemed by the conversations I was reading that they all knew each other fairly well and weren’t so warm to me coming in and asking questions. I got a few responses but nothing too enthusiastic.
Analysis:
Through my results I was able to discover that, in fact my hypothesis was correct. Second Life, as a virtual community mirrors that of the real world. Postman and Rheingold were correct that technology will indeed evolve. However, I disagree particularly with Neil Postman’s argument that technology will eventually rule the lives of humans. This technology molds and evolves to meet the needs of the humans under which it serves. There is no technopoly in Second Life. The people who join the Second Life community use it to alter their own lives. It is used as an escape for many people. Even if they are using a virtual community, literally living a second life, they have the same social instincts that they would in the real world.
Most of the people who make avatars for Second Life give them the attributes they wish they had: skinnier, better hair, posture etc. Superficial attributes are entirely malleable through Second Life. One can even become anything from vampire to an animal. Yet, no matter what someone’s appearance ends up like, their social instincts will not change. When given the option to become more outgoing in this world given an avatar that represents who they truly want to be, they still follow their same instinctual social norms that exist in the real world. Polite greetings, standard conversation and certain basic decorum hold true. Most end up joining social circles to make new friends and meet interesting people. Some joined specific groups to find people with similar interests. All felt that, at some point, they needed to become a member of a group. There was little individualistic thinking. There was hardly any innovative process that would invent a new way of social interaction. I found it hard to find people just walking around by themselves. People feel threatened and unwanted if they are not a part of some kind of group. Though different, all follow the same basic social mores that preexisted the virtual community. All avatars want to find a group of friends with whom they have something in common which allow them to successfully interact in a social environment. In fact, my results prove that they will strive to divide themselves into similar social cliques that, in the real world would have either rejected them or would have otherwise been unavailable to them. Therefore, even though they are in a world that has potential for entirely different social norms and codes, each avatar will still follow their basic human-social interactions. The biggest service that this virtual community does for its clients is provide a sort of mask. They are able to hide who they truly are and become a part of something without being judged by the usual things people in the real world would feel self-conscious about. They are then able to perform their normal human interactions through this mask.
Dividing into groups has been a ritual performed long before the virtual community and even technology existed. Throughout history people have divided themselves into groups based on similar attributes. Even when given the tools to change social grouping and invent a completely new way to interact, people will still end up dividing themselves into groups. It is inevitable. History changes hat is socially acceptable. Less than a century ago, it was improper for women to show their ankles, or be alone in a room with a man. These superficial social interactions will always evolve. A distinction needs to be drawn between the foundational and superficial social codes. Even though the rules change, the actual interaction will not. Second Life has changed the rules, but not the fundamentals. There is still the same basic social code that will not change, even in a virtual world. There is an etiquette that humans will follow until extinction.
Talking to the individuals wandering around, I discovered most of them were looking for a group to become a part of. This further proves that humans, no matter what environment they are in, feel the need to join groups. They will also feel the need to exclude others from these groups. I experienced this personally when I was on the castle island. It was a tight-knit group. They generally responded to me but with a lack of enthusiasm. I felt shut out from their group. I was an outsider to this group. After being harassed by a monkey in a tuxedo and cursed by a witch, I decided it was time to leave. In the real world, I have never really felt so shunned by a group as I did in this particular Second Life group. Luckily, other groups were more welcoming. I found interesting conversations in the clubbing type atmospheres. Which directly corresponds with social scenes in the real world. When one goes to a club in the real world, generally they are trying to meet new people and have a good time. It was the same in Second Life. In the clubs I talked to several people who were exploring Second Life and were trying to find interesting people to talk to. When I visited places like the secluded castle, I felt much less welcomed. It would be almost equivalent as me walking into some random person’s home in the real world. I wouldn’t exactly get warm greetings.
In conclusion, virtual communities have evolved from being a place to communicate virtually, but a place that completely mirrors our society in the real world. Even when given the opportunity to completely reinvent the way two people, or avatars, interact and socialize, the human instinct kicks in and all social norms remain the same and our social morals and codes still apply in a virtual world.
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