Hello, Tamara. As Jeremy has already said, ANT isn't a method, but a way to think about reality. One of it's main features is that it sees not difference between human and nonhuman actors in the network (or rather worknet) of interaction. This feature is also called "symmetrical anthropology". But I wanted to talk about another problem with this "paradigm" in sociological thought. Latour represents the "ontological" branch of "sociology of everyday life" which derives from Shutz's idea of "multiple realities". Like Shutz, he considered that there is one paramount reality and others to be of second order. Like in "Nine Princes of Amber" by Roger Zelazny, where there were only one real Amber and other places, worlds and realities were simply it's reflections. So, the problem for your research here is that from that point of view, any kind of MMO will be "realities of second order" by default. And respectively any activity in this reality will be automatically considered to be "activity of second order". The same is for players - that's why they'll seem to be geeks and loosers. To avoid this problem, I think that you should use another paradigm of theorizing about everyday interaction (or microsociology if you wish) - it's frame analysis by Erving Goffman. From Goffman's point of view, there is no "paramount reality" and even a dream or delirium can be scrutinized sociologically. I hope this thoughts will seem somehow usefull. Best wishes, Alexander. -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Tamara Paradis Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 6:15 PM To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org Subject: [Air-L] Using ANT as ethos and method Hi all I'm working on a graduate project that explores the controversies and understandings of MMO gaming as valid leisure. I'm curious what is it about MMO gaming that results in it being viewed as geeky, strange, "luser-ish", etc. I've been struck by the ways in which MMO gamers themselves, as well as everday non-gaming folks and mass media reportage (outside of financial reports!) seem to accept that MMO gaming is somehow a type of strange and suspect pursuit. I've long been intrigued with the work of Bruno Latour and others from SST and material culture studies who use an Actor-Network Theory (ANT) approach to studying the world and its phenomenon. I am drawn to the ethos of ANT which flattens the divide between researcher and the researched, and which advocates jettisoning old notions of society and "the social", and the old (artificial?) divides between micro/macro, structure/individual, power/domination etc. in the interests of letting the actions tell the story of the results. I'm equlally drawn but intimidated by the methods built into ANT -- the mapping of actors and connections and associations. I'm trying to convince a reluctant adviser that an ANT approach is a valid way of studying my research question. Given the digital focus and the desire to use ANT as ethos and method, as well as the ways in which ANT approaches study and fieldwork, I'm having a rough go of it. I'm wondering if any of you are using ANT or have used it in the past for qualitiative research purposes (e.g. virtual ethnography; findings reporting; etc.). If you have done so in the past, are in the midst of doing so now or are at least intrigued by the possibilities, I'd be interested in talking with you off-list. Thanks. Tamara Paradis tparadis@connect.carleton.ca tsparadis@gmail.com Carleton University - Sociology & Anthropology Ottawa, ON, Canada _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/