Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Sociology
Date of Award
5-2018
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Dr. Martha Copp
Committee Members
Dr. Leslie McCallister, Dr. Paul Kamolnick
Abstract
This thesis examines the virtual social world of the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, Runescape. I observed several locations in the Runescape world, conducted in-depth interviews with players, and participated in clan activities. I analyzed how individual players develop and extend concepts of self through their participation in the game. Players attach patterned meanings to in-game social objects, particularly their character (avatar) that mediates their experiences in the game. Many players refer to their character’s appearance and accomplishments as an extension of the self, particularly when they master game skills or accumulate in-game wealth. How players spend and think about time in the game suggests that they experience a blurred boundary between “play” and “work.”
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Robe, Isaac, "Inescapably Social: Dimensions of Self Construction in the Virtual Social World of Runescape" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3375. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3375
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.