Self-Identity, Voice, and Power in Female Muggles and Wizards:

1. Self-Identity, Voice, and Power in Female Muggles and Wizards: A Feminist Analysis of Fan Avatars in Two Harry Potter Fan Sites Jennifer L. Bowie Presentation Example for 4320

2. Females, Technology, and Self • Much of the scholarship has found women marginalized in computer use • But females can be at the center: • Girls are weaving the web (Takayoshi, Huot, and Huot) • “The Web is a productive venue for girls’ self-expression.. Gives girls a place for self-expression while intimately involving them in the working of technology” (104 Takayoshi, Huot, and Huot) • The web gives us “heightened possibilities for self-representation” (271 Hawisher and Sullivan) • The body and representation are key feminist issues and online spaces are a new venues for these issues • According to DeVoss and Selfe • We need to pay attention to how individuals are establishing identities online • We need to see women as agents and authors of their own identities

3. Method • Examined the forum of two popular Harry Potter Fan sites • Site 1 was avatar heavy and the majority disclosed their sex • Site 2 had less avatars and few disclosed their sex • Gathered 40 female avatars • Analyzed the avatars for self-identity, voice, and power

4. Findings • Of 101 unique avatars: • 59 do not disclose their sex (only 1 from site 1) • 2 self-identified as male (both on site 2) • 40 self-identified as female

5. Findings: Types of Avatars • 23 photo based • 16 are drawings of some type • 3 are text • 17 include text with an image • 24 are Harry Potter related

6. Warning! • Spoiler on the next page!

7. More Findings: XX, XY, ? • 17 have a feminine theme • 4 have a masculine theme • 15 are of females • 16 are of males • 9 have multiple people (3 are all male, the rest male & female)

8. Findings: Attributes • 14 are strong • 10 are powerful • 6 are weak • 1 is sexy • 9 are pretty • 8 are cute • 8 are childlike • 6 have attitude • 4 are smart

9. Findings: Traditional Depictions? • 18 had traditional feminine depictions • 6 had non-traditional depictions • 5 of those also had traditional elements

10. Summary • Many females are choosing to represent themselves in either traditional methods or as males • When females choose non-traditional depictions they often include traditional aspects • Although strong and powerful are included, so are pretty and cute • Self-identity: feminine or male, multiple, outside self • Voice: emotional, focused on relationships, spoke through others, often traditional (even when being non-traditional) • Power: sought through Harry Potter images and images of males, expressed in more masculine ways or showed weakness • Some females are weaving and authoring strong feminist identities online, but too many stay with the traditional and thus reinforce the problematic

11. Questions • Why are self-identifying females more likely to use avatars? • Why do they choose their avatars and what are they trying to say/do with them? • What do these avatars say about females as authors and agents of their identity? What does it mean that they are using outside images?

12. Barry states that “single messages may have great clarification and directional impact, as well as a progressively cumulative impact…” (336).

13. Thank you! • jbowie@gsu.edu • www.screenspace.org