Nakamura explains that within the web interface we assume we can conduct ourselves anonymously. We assume that we can create and navigate the web with neutral identities, or create an identity form scratch. But as we discussed Bitzer's argument, it came up that identity can't really be made "from scratch". Everything happens within a rhetorical situation. The web's interface was not created from nothing it was based on previously existing interfaces. The creators of "new" web space, pull from the space they already know about.
Nakamura provides an example of racially mediated web space, with a web portal that provides a drop-down list of race/ethnicity options. In this list you are not allowed to identity as multiple options. This shows that web elements can be structured in ways that support racial stereotypes.
It was interesting to see that whiteness is viewed as a web-identity default rather than a web-identity option. Race impacts users in non-web contexts, so although web interfaces have the lure of anonymity they are not "freed" from race and stereotyping.
This article also reminded me of this website. How whitness is defined as default, but it is hard to define.
http://www.understandingrace.org/lived/who_is/index.html
Solid clarification-how do you apply this to how you plan to design for the web?
ReplyDelete