Embodied virtual geographies: Linkages between bodies, spaces, and digital environments

Abstract

Within an ongoing debate about the relationships between the body and technological experiences within virtual reality (VR), there has hitherto been limited consideration of the spatial. Geographers, meanwhile, have only just begun to engage with VR and its spatialities but have paid less attention to its embodiment. The technology allows users to go beyond merely imagining themselves in a different world, creating a real sense of presence in the digital realm. Immersion and presence in VR are, however, a mix of space, embodiment and the digital. As such, any discussion of VR requires critical consideration of both embodiment and space. This paper therefore explores some of the linkages between bodies, spaces and VR to demonstrate how engagement with VR can enrich geographical scholarship.

Embracing the digital landscape: enriching the concept of sense of place in the digital age

“…In this context, the body, code, data, infrastructure, and language have brought forth diverse spatial forms of computational change, drawing the interest and attention of geographers (Leszczynski, 2015(Leszczynski, , 2020Relph, 2021). Within this body of research, the focus has primarily been on space as an intermediary, representational, and embodied code (Chan, 2008;Leszczynski, 2015;Sutko, De Souza E Silva, 2011), while the notion of place as the center of emotional and meaningful connection seems to have been overlooked (Osborne & Jones, 2022;Relph, 2021).…”

“…Especially, the critical meaning of media is highlighted in this field. This convergence has challenged traditional notions of media, space, and how to study them (Moores, 2012;Sutko, De Souza E Silva, 2011;Wang, Tai, & Chang, 2021;Wang & Zhang, 2022). The introduction of media theory has expanded human geographers' understanding of place and digital technology (Halegoua & Polson, 2021;Pan, 2022).…”

“…t has recently been observed growing connections between space, place, and digital environments, highlighting that information and communication technology (ICT) is reshaping people's experiences with space and place (Bos, 2021;Haefner & Sternberg, 2020;Liu, 2023a;Osborne & Jones, 2022). The debate regarding the relationship between space, place, and technology can be traced back to 1998 when geographer Graham (1998) published "The End of Geography or the Explosion of Place?…”

Loitering with (research) intent: Remote ethnographies in the immigration tribunal

“…Video hearings in particular occupy an unusual space wherein the bodies of hearing participants are not co-present, but are not entirely absent either. As Osborne and Jones (2022) highlight in the context of Virtual Reality-mediated interactions, the boundary between the material and digital worlds is blurred and it is at the site of the body that this blurring can often be felt. a 'netnography' (Kozinets, 2002), which often relates to more static observations, for example, reading comments on web forums, these remote court ethnographies were of live encounters with participants who were visible to each other from the waist up and interacted dynamically in real time.…”

“…Video hearings in particular occupy an unusual space wherein the bodies of hearing participants are not co‐present, but are not entirely absent either. As Osborne and Jones (2022) highlight in the context of Virtual Reality‐mediated interactions, the boundary between the material and digital worlds is blurred and it is at the site of the body that this blurring can often be felt.…”