The paper develops a phenomenological perspective on virtual interactions, which focuses on the centrality of the human body for developing meaningful engagements and relationships in virtual settings. From such a stance, the paper problematizes the extant perspectives that are being premised either on the physicality of the human body and thereby face-to-face interactions, or on the negligence of the body and its reduction to digital text in virtual interactions. In contrast, by drawing on the work of Merleau-Ponty, this paper sets a middle ground, which emphasizes the relationship between the phenomenal (lived) body, and the objective (image) body, which also constitutes our engagements with others. The findings of the paper, based on an analysis of an in-depth, longitudinal, exclusively-mediated software development relationship, identify the importance of inter-orienting and inter-presencing practices. These practices show that virtual interactions are qualitatively distinct mode of engagement, which is more-than-linguistic and more-than-task-oriented. This perspective of virtual embodiment is valuable for addressing the research contradictions in the area of virtual interactions, and offering important insights to the recent IS discourse on performativity and ontological inseparability.


    Access

    Download


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Understanding Virtual Embodiment: A Phenomenological Lens


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2019-01-08



    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Classification :

    DDC:    629




    Social Tele-Embodiment: Understanding Presence

    Paulos, E. / Canny, J. | British Library Online Contents | 2001


    The Sense of embodiment in virtual reality

    Kilteni, Konstantina / Groten, Raphaela / Slater, Mel | BASE | 2012

    Free access

    Embodiment in Virtual Reality Intensifies Emotional Responses to Virtual Stimuli

    Gall, Dominik / Roth, Daniel / Stauffert, Jan-Philipp et al. | BASE | 2021

    Free access

    Can wearable haptic devices foster the embodiment of virtual limbs?

    J. Frohner / G. Salvietti / P. Beckerle et al. | BASE | 2019

    Free access