In this week’s lecture we discussed the concept of the “symbolic universe” as a cultural “structure of legitimation” capable of organizing the social world as comprehensible and connected. The structure of the symbolic universe then, places the individual in a known and knowable space. Such social structures are critical for societies in transition. Can you identify the creation of any “symbolic universe” today (or in recent years)? How might media and design be implicated in the construction of these social universes today?
Post your response in your DSDN171 blog (with an image if appropriate—not required. But if you use an image, be sure to address this image in your response.) Don’t forget you MUST also use APA referencing
Symbolic universes are seen everywhere within our world today, advertising, television shows, and gaming just to name a few. Through the use of the gaming industry individuals are able to enter symbolic universes, and become anything they desire. These worlds are both unknown and known; an example of this is the Gran Turismo [1] series. However these games can become so addictive that users become ‘trapped’ within these virtual worlds, playing the games for hours on end.
With these types of symbolic universes the user gets to become anything they want, from the hero to sometimes the villain. The games allow individuals to use playing their games as an ‘escape’ from their own world. The virtual, symbolic universes created in these games are often seen as a utopia within the gamers’ eyes. The media often portrays this utopia world during the advertising of the product.
[1] A well known PlayStation game, where individuals are able to purchase and race cars around tracks around the world; http://www.gran-turismo.com/
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