Non-Embodied Embodiment: Transgenderism, Identity and the Internet

JOE WEINBERG

Abstract
Online, no one can tell that you’re a dog. When in the third space of the internet, the body is left behind, allowing people to explore their own identities and to engage in identity tourism with different possible bodies. It is the representations we choose for ourselves online that allow this exploration, the icons and avatars we create that produce embodiment in online environments. Those groups that exist on the fringe of identity, or in a state where identities are in flux, such as: the transgendered community. By examining what embodiment these icons and avatars allow, we can better understand how identity works online.

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Dr. Joe Weinberg completed his PhD in 2014. His research focuses on the way we see ourselves and the ideas that go into who we are. Exploration of gender perception, sexuality, and personal identity spur him to investigate the ways that such questions come up in pedagogy, popular culture, and every day life. His work focuses on communication between disparate groups, public relations, and corporate communication, where he uses his academic background to help make the corporate world a better place.