Exploring the concept of identity and meaning-making in the space between virtual and real worlds

With the emergence and popularity of online social networking technologies (Web 2.0) students are exploring new concepts of self, identity and community both in real and virtual spaces. New theories are necessary to develop social policy responses, including those of educational systems and institutions, to the consequences of these new conceptualisations. We present an original theoretical model, the 3V model, to assist in the interpretation of existing theory, illustrated through an exploration of higher education students’ concept of identity in the interface between the ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ worlds. We wish to explore whether the theoretical and methodological instruments available within the broader Social Sciences are adequate to examine emerging notions of identity. We adopt one well established anthropological instrument for identifying generalised value differences within contemporary cultural settings, the Kluckhohn - Strodbeck Value Orientation Preference Model, and apply it to both real-world and virtual-world personas within a single sample. Our emergent theoretical model outlines a set of complex assumptions concerning the concept of the real-virtual interface; it presents an internal structure to this realm and provides a framework for further empirical study.