I, Avatar: The Culture and Consequences of Having a Second Life

Chapter . Rituals and Archetypes

People put on masks of ritual and role and build new kinds of culture. A culture, like a city-state, is a group identity that sometimes needs to be defended. But the definition of that culture, like that of any city-state, happens not only outside the walls but inside them as well.

Though the wars were fought at the boundaries of group identity, those avatars within the borders of the culture seemed to get along quite well. They had strong bonds, solid rituals, a diverse range of roles, and a clear sense of why they were there. Within their culture, the members heartily agreed with one another about who they were and how to stay that way. These agreements had to do with behavior, and they appeared in many forms. ...