World Peace in the Virtual World?

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,” Shakespeare’s Hamlet declares (Act 1, Scene 5, 159-167). The melancholy Dane was certainly on to something, he just did not go far enough; for not only are there “more things,” there are also more worlds. Though many of us are content to exist in our one real world, there are others who also reside in another world, the virtual one; specifically, on websites that allow members to participate in role-playing situations. These scenarios are frequently games of a sort, yet others simply provide an environment for interaction; and the interplay among its inhabitants can produce some very interesting points of view regarding communication there. More specifically, discovering both the advantages and disadvantages of collaborating in the virtual world with regard to intercultural communication could be an immense boon to solving current international strains. Does the anonymity that this medium brings produce positive results when people from different social environments commune, or more often negative ones?

First, we must understand what intercultural communication is. Simply put, it is the ability to put aside one’s ethnocentric proclivities and assume an objective, yet sympathetic approach when communicating with one from another culture. Understanding that other cultures do not experience the world in the same way, and thus have distinct, yet sometimes subtle communication standards is the key to successful intercultural discourse. As Fred E. Jandt elaborates, “To begin to understand a culture, you need to understand all the experiences that guide its individual members through life” (2010, p. 16).

One great advantage that immediately comes to mind for circumventing cross-cultural differences in the virtual world is that the avatar, or virtual world persona, one creates can be free of any culturally identifiable markers, thus eliminating the immediate inclination of others to stereotype. As in the real world, stereotyping can be a real social problem. In a recent Stanford University study, it was shown that both men and women perpetuated the “rape myth” when observing scantily clad avatars (Blackman, 2010, ¶ 12). This myth expresses the belief that women who dress suggestively deserve sexual attacks upon their person. This is a frightening attitude, and yet one of the many generalizations that are made based upon one’s appearance. Therefore, removing any indicators upon creation of one’s avatar could go a long way toward being accepted in the mainstream.

If there were no causes for prejudgment, then the inhabitants of the Virtual World (VW) would be more open to listening to and considering the validity of messages. There could be a more open exchange of ideas. Points of view heretofore rejected because of their association with their cultural origin might be more seriously considered.

Another advantage for erasing cultural barriers in the VW is that the environment itself is more nonthreatening and so conducive to encounters lacking in an innate defensiveness. This “safe” environment also promotes the exchange of social interplay and idea sharing. This unique location can spawn cross-cultural insights as well. A recent experiment performed at the University of Barcelona gave male subjects the avatar of a young girl, who then viewed themselves from a third-person perspective. The young girl was then slapped by another avatar, which resulted in a truly sympathetic/empathetic response by the men. “The effect was so intense that seeing the virtual girl slapped elicited heart rate responses in the men,” says Mel Slater, the cognitive scientist who created the experiment (Bower, 2010, ¶ 2). If this experiment can create such a deep-rooted response providing subjects an insight into the life and point of view of another individual, perhaps an extension of this study could provide for individuals insights into other cultures.

As with any social experiment, however, role-playing games can also have negative results as well. If one chooses an ethnically or culturally ambiguous avatar as posited earlier and is, say, an Afghani Muslim, one is essentially misrepresenting oneself, which can create an assortment of problems. If that person is later “found out” by individuals with whom that person has had ongoing interactions, those individuals could feel betrayed and severe resentment might follow. This would, in turn, further a stereotype demonstrating that “those Arabs just can’t be trusted!” In this scenario, more damage than good would have resulted from the anonymity of the VW.

Another minor failure might result when the “outsider” is insufficiently familiar with the social customs of the majority culture, and could unknowingly create offensive and objectionable behavior or speech. Since the majority members would consider this person “one of their own”, they would see this as deliberately objectionable behavior.

So can this virtual world ultimately break down cultural barriers and allow individuals to relate without the baggage of stereotyping and prejudging? Overall, I believe the answer is “yes.” By presenting a persona that does not carry with it indicators of ethnicity that could cause a negative reception on the part of others, one has a better opportunity of being accepted for who one is, and a chance to open the eyes of people to different ideas and concepts. There is that risk involved of being judged a duplicitous infiltrator; but I do believe that the potential benefits outweigh the drawbacks. If people can learn to interact with one another solely as fellow human beings, the potential for great discoveries is there.

References

Blackman, C. (2010). Can avatars change the way we think and act? Stanford University News Service. Retrieved June 25, 2010, from http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/-february22/avatar-behavior-study-022510.html

Bower, B. (2010, June 5). Men swap spots with virtual girl. Science News, Vol. 177, Iss. 12;
p.10. Retrieved June 25, 2010, from Proquest Database.
Jandt, F. E. (2010). An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global community (6th ed.).Los Angeles: Sage Publications, Inc.