Mechanisms of identification and social differentiation in player–avatar relations

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas David Bowman ◽  
Jaime Banks ◽  
Edward Downs
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Social Differentiation ◽  
Digital Gaming

The connection between player and avatar is central to digital gaming, with identification assumed to be core to this connection. Often, scholarship engages single dimensions of identification, yet emerging perspectives reveal that identification is polythetic (PID) – comprising at least six sufficient (but not necessary) mechanisms. The current study investigates the intersections of polythetic identification mechanisms and two different approaches to player–avatar sociality (as a marker of differentiation): general types of player–avatar relationships (PARs) and discrete dimensions of player–avatar interaction (PAX). Secondary analysis of an existing dataset of gamers revealed two main findings: (1) players reported overall diminished identification when they engaged in non-social relations with their avatar, and (2) increased liking and perspective-taking were most likely with human-like social relations, which require differentiation from rather than identification as the avatar. These findings are interpreted to suggest that player–avatar identification and differentiation are conceptually independent relational phenomena that are experientially convergent – some relational orientations and dynamics are associated with distinct combinations of identification mechanisms.

scholarly journals Dzielenie przestrzeni, praktyki graniczenia. Parkowanie, własność i przynależność na polskich osiedlach mieszkaniowych

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-167
Author(s):  
Karol Kurnicki
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Social Differentiation ◽  
Spatial Practices ◽  
Social Divisions ◽  
Everyday Practices ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Creation

Space gains significance through processes of social differentiation and bordering, and in consequence is connected with the creation and maintenance of social divisions. The author seeks confirmation of this fact at the level of everyday practices in housing settlements, tracking the mechanisms used by people in situations of contact and confrontation with others in the social space. He sets himself several aims: (1) he attempts to analyze selected spatial practices (parking within the settlement, the creation of belonging), reflecting the internal structuring strategies of housing settlements; (2) he points to the causes of that structuring, that is, the main contexts in which these practices occur and are strengthened; (3) he highlights the important role of space in processes of bordering and differentiation. Practices connected with parking and the creation of belonging, although apparently disparate and deriving from contrary spheres of social life make it possible to hypothesize that the striving for separation and the increased importance of space determine the organization of borders, divisions, and social relations in housing settlements.

Emergent Tribal Formations in the American Midcontinent

1985 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Bender
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Woodland Period ◽  
Social Differentiation ◽  
Social Perspective ◽  
Environmental Orientation ◽  
Social Demand

Archaic societies in the American midcontinent tend to be viewed as “archetypal” egalitarian, subsistence-oriented, gatherer–hunters. The strong techno-environmental orientation of most recent studies makes it hard to understand how and why increasingly socially differentiated gatherer-hunter societies emerged during the later Woodland period. In this article I attempt a social perspective on gatherer-hunters in general and those of the Archaic in particular. I suggest that alliance and exchange are universal hominid strategies and that, while they may have ecologically or biologically adaptive features, they are primarily about social relations and social reproduction.Gatherer-hunter reciprocity has been stressed in the literature, but the opposite side of the coin is debt, and debt is about inequality, however slight or well masked. The internal social feedbacks embedded in alliance and exchange that might exacerbate social differentiation, and the feedback between social demand and productive intensification are explored. The divide between the midcontinental Archaic and Woodland begins to crumble.

scholarly journals Borrowed identities: Class(ification), inequality and the role of credit-debt in class making and struggle

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 1417-1434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Sparkes
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Differentiation ◽  
Class Analysis ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Class Inequality ◽  
Cultural Goods ◽  
Relative Class ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
The Way

Class analysis has re-emerged as a pertinent area of enquiry. This development is linked to a growing body of work dubbed cultural class analysis, that utilises Bourdieu’s class scheme to develop rich understandings of how culture and lifestyle interacts with economic and social relations in Britain, generating inequalities and hierarchies. Yet cultural class analyses do not properly account for the way individuals resist their relative class positions, nor the role of unsecured credit in facilitating consumption. This article contributes to this area by examining how unsecured credit and problem debt influences consumption and class position amongst individuals with modest incomes. Drawing on 21 interviews with individuals managing problem debt, this article details how class inequality emerges through affective states that include anxiety and feelings of deficit. It also shows how these experiences motivate participants to rely on unsecured credit to consume cultural goods and engage in activities in a struggle against their class position, with the intention of enhancing how they are perceived and classified by others. The findings indicate that cultural class analyses may have overlooked the symbolic importance of mundane consumption and goods in social differentiation. This article further details how these processes entangle individuals into complex liens of debt – which lead to over-indebtedness, default, dispossession and financial expropriation – illustrating how investigations of credit-debt can better inform understandings of class inequality, exploitation and struggle.

scholarly journals SOCIALIZATSIONAL AND VITAL TRAJECTORIES: INTERPRETATIONS AND MECHANISM OF THE MOVEMENT

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-38
Author(s):  
Наталья Нятина ◽  
Natalia Nyatina
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Social Differentiation ◽  
Social Stratum ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
The Social ◽  
Institutional Maintenance ◽  
Influence Behavior

<p>The article features the interrelation of personal socialization are studied in sociology. The objectives are achieved by addressing the following tasks: consideration of theoretical approaches to understanding of socializational trajectory; analysis of the ratio of vital and socializational trajectories and description of features of the mechanism of a socializational trajectory. The vital trajectory of a person is defined by the social differentiation of society. Many aspects of personal development (social relations, social advance, inclusion in the certainsocial groups, including closed ones, etc.) depend on the social stratum he belongs to and the fact whether the person has an opportunity to influence behavior and consciousness of other people influence. While analyzing a vital trajectory, the researcher has to consider various bases of social differentiation. The article states specifics of socializational trajectory. A socializational trajectory is a graphic representation of development of the personality that reflects the influence of both adaptive and maladaptive practices and the measure of institutional maintenance. The starting points for the analysis of the process of socialization are the personality and the social space in which social interaction is implemented. When creating a socializational trajectory, studying happens from the outside: features of the personality, his or her ability, affirmations and the purpose of development are analyzed</p>

scholarly journals Factors associated with violence against adolescents at home in Peru

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renzo Rivera ◽  
Walter Arias-Gallegos
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Family Context ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Adolescent Women ◽  
Robust Variance ◽  
The Social ◽  
Adult World ◽  
Prevalence Ratios ◽  
At Home

Background: Adolescence responds to a period of maturity and adjustment to the adult world; therefore, it is influenced by the social and family context, as well as by the previous stages of development. The objective of the present investigation was to determine the factors associated with violence against adolescents at home in Peru. Methods. A secondary analysis of the National Survey of Social Relations 2015 was carried out. The sample was of 1491 adolescents between 12 to 17 years old. Raw (PR) and adjusted (PRa) prevalence ratios using Poisson regression with robust variance were estimated. Results. It was found that adolescent women (PRa: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.17-1.68) and adolescents who live in homes where there are continuous fights or arguments between parents or adults who live there (PRa: 2.75; 95% CI: 2.11-3.57) have a higher risk of violence. Conclusions. Women and adolescents who live in families where there are continuous arguments between parents or adults have a high risk of domestic violence.

Imperial and Social Relations in Postclassic South-Central Veracruz, Mexico

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Garraty ◽  
Barbara L. Stark
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Settlement Patterns ◽  
Social Differentiation ◽  
Postclassic Period ◽  
South Central ◽  
Status Differentiation ◽  
Late Postclassic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Aztec Empire

We explore social and imperial relations in the western lower Papaloapan Basin, especially along the lower Blanco River, using statistical analyses of ceramic rims from recent surveys. This region is sandwiched between two known tributary provincial centers of the Aztec empire, but its relationship to the empire is uncertain in colonial documentary materials. Our analyses illuminate changes in social relations from the Middle (A. D. 1150–1350) to Late Postclassic (A. D. 1350–1520) periods and shed light on the impact of Aztec imperialism. We use a ceramic unmixing procedure to assign collections to the Middle and Late Postclassic periods for assessment of settlement patterns. Next we use cluster analyses to examine vertical wealth and status differentiation. In the Middle Postclassic period, we observe a concentric gradation of wealth and status away from the small center of El Sauce. Late Postclassic changes include the decline of El Sauce and the founding of a new center at Callejón del Horno. The concentric model does not apply to the Late Postclassic period, however, and wealth and status became more highly concentrated at Callejón del Horno compared to its hinterland. We also investigate sparse collections-those with few Postclassic rims-to evaluate whether these collections represent poor residences or, rather, sherd scatter from possible field manuring. The lower Blanco region was likely integrated into the Aztec empire on the basis of changes in vertical social differentiation from Middle to Late Postclassic times and percentages of Aztec-style ceramics compared to known Aztec provincial centers, especially Cotaxtla.

scholarly journals Relationship between the severity of agitation and quality of life in residents with dementia living in German nursing homes - a secondary data analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Schmüdderich ◽  
Daniela Holle ◽  
Armin Ströbel ◽  
Bernhard Holle ◽  
Rebecca Palm
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
Short Version ◽  
Linear Regression Models

Abstract Background Severe agitation and its relation to single dimensions of quality of life are not well understood. The aim of this study was to gain more knowledge about severe agitation and to examine the relationships between the severity of agitation and single dimensions of quality of life among residents with dementia living in German nursing homes. Methods This exploratory secondary analysis included data from 1947 residents of 66 German nursing homes from the DemenzMonitor study. The construct of agitation was defined as a composite score of the items agitation/aggression, irritability/lability and disinhibition from the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q); the resident was classified as severely agitated if at least one of these symptoms was rated as ‘severe’. The single dimensions of quality of life were measured with the short version of the QUALIDEM instrument. To avoid selection bias, two controls with mild or no agitation were selected for each resident with severe agitation using propensity score matching. Mixed linear regression models were then generated to determine the differences in the dimensions of quality of life for the severity of agitation and the defining items. Results For four out of five dimensions of quality of life of the short version of QUALIDEM, residents with severe agitation had significantly lower values than residents without severe agitation. Converted to scale size, the greatest difference between both groups was found in the dimension social isolation with 23.0% (-2.07 (95% CI: -2.57, -1.57)). Further differences were found in the dimensions restless tense behaviour with 16.9% (-1.52 (95% CI: -2.04, -1.00)), positive affect with 14.0% (-1.68 (95% CI: -2.28, -1.09)) and social relations with 12.4% (-1.12 (95% CI: -1.54, -0.71)). Conclusions Severe agitation is a relevant phenomenon among nursing home residents with dementia and is associated with lower values of quality of life in the dimensions social isolation, restless tense behaviour, positive affect and social relations from the QUALIDEM instrument. Therefore, more attention should be paid to severe agitation in nursing practice and research. Moreover, care strategies used to reduce severe agitation should be considered in terms of their impact on the dimensions of quality of life.

scholarly journals Perspective-taking is two-sided: Misunderstandings between people with Asperger’s syndrome and their family members

Autism ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 740-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett Heasman ◽  
Alex Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Asperger's Syndrome ◽  
Asperger’S Syndrome ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Social Understanding ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Two Sides

Misunderstandings are social in nature, always having two sides. Yet the misunderstandings experienced by people with Asperger’s syndrome are usually studied in terms of the individual with a diagnosis, with less emphasis on social relations. We use a two-sided methodology to map out misunderstandings within 22 dyads (n = 44) consisting of people with Asperger’s syndrome and their family members. Both sides of the relationship were asked about 12 topics in terms of one’s rating of Self, one’s rating of Other and one’s predicted rating by Other. The findings show that people with Asperger’s are able to predict lower scores from family members, despite disagreeing with their view, and that family members often over-estimate the extent to which their relatives with Asperger’s syndrome are egocentrically anchored in their own perspective. The research demonstrates that a two-sided methodology is viable, and it uses it to identify how representations of Asperger’s syndrome can both support and hinder social understanding within relationships affected by Asperger’s.

Motherhood as Identity: African Refugee Single Mothers Working the Intersections

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 583-604
Author(s):  
Julian Grant ◽  
Pauline B Guerin
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Single Mothers ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Western Country ◽  
Primary Analysis ◽  
Raising Children ◽  
Mothers And Children ◽  
And Gender ◽  
African Refugee

Abstract We explored the strategies that refugee single mothers used to manage socio-emotional, physical and economic challenges of raising children during resettlement in a Western country. Ethnographic case studies of 10 families and 12 focus groups were conducted. Bourdieu’s theory of social relations informed the primary analysis. Intersectionality was adopted as a secondary analysis, attending to the agency and empowerment experienced by the participants. Motherhood was identified as a key gendered capability important for the development of capital. Within motherhood, five core themes were identified, including ‘loneliness and sadness’, ‘not enough money’, ‘racism’, ‘struggle for education’ and ‘striving to connect’. Findings suggest the importance of a feminism that legitimizes motherhood as identity with attendant intersections of race, class and gender. Further, the theoretical link between motherhood as a capability and development of capital suggests that investment in structural resources could improve capability and outcomes for refugee mothers and children.

scholarly journals ‘It gives you a reason to be in this world’: the interdependency of communities, environments and social justice for quality of life in older people

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Jane M. Robertson ◽  
Grant Gibson ◽  
Corinne Greasley-Adams ◽  
Vikki McCall ◽  
Joan Gibson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Community Settings

Abstract Research regarding quality of life among older people has predominantly focused on functional elements experienced at individual or dyadic level despite the complex interplay of factors that contribute to quality of life. Perspectives which explore interdependencies within communities and the intersecting environments in which older people exercise agency have seen less study. They do, however, play an important role in influencing quality of life as experienced by older people across community settings. Qualitative data from a co-produced study of dimensions influencing quality of life in older people was subjected to secondary analysis using a critical human ecological approach. Findings demonstrate the importance of community interdependencies in supporting individual quality of life, the expression of active agency to foster quality of life within and across communities, and the importance of state infrastructures and service provision within these interdependencies. This article argues for a movement beyond functional conceptualisations of quality of life towards the inclusion of perspectives regarding communal wellbeing, alongside the role differing types of community play in influencing quality of life. Through developing conceptions of quality of life in social relations and community cohesion, in particular how quality of life is influenced by perceptions of solidarity and social justice including across generations, assessing quality of life at community level will assist in driving cultural change in policy making and practice.

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