Synthetic Worlds and Virtual Citizens: Experimental Ethnographic Simulation, Virtual Autotopography and Emerging Citizenship Identity in Young People

Abstract

Young people from communities with distinct religious or cultural identities have often found it difficult to engage with or be welcomed into citizenship in European democracies where there is no strong sense of inclusive national identity or of citizenship. There is a need to develop a more inclusive conception of national and European citizenship. This chapter presents initial findings from a project in secondary schools in the northeast of England, UK, using a virtual environment to understand how such technology can explore and develop young people’s conceptualisation of a citizenship in harmony with cultural and religious convictions in contemporary British society. European studies of citizenship identity development in traditional educational settings have found them becoming less successful. Initial findings from the present study suggest that a revealing alternative approach is afforded through the use of immersive virtual worlds by applying experiential learning and ethnographic simulation.