Expanding Our Understandings of Affinity Spaces

Session Submission Type: Symposium

Abstract

Gee (2004) envisioned "affinity space" as a term to capture the activities of physical, virtual, and blended learning spheres. Ensuing research, however, has often centered on online practices. In this symposium, we explore four intergenerational affinity spaces and the characters, images, physical materials, and rhetorical structures that support their literacies. To do so, we share observations, interviews, and discourse analyses from fiber-crafting, trailer restoration, fiction publication, and meme-making spaces.

Content Area

• Area 10: Literacy Technology and Media

Chair

• Alecia Marie Magnifico, University of New Hampshire

Discussant

• Jayne C. Lammers, University of Rochester

Individual Presentations

• Learning in Fiberspace: How Physical Crafts Become Online Conversations - Meaghan Elliott, University of New Hampshire

• Polished Turds and Elephant Sandwiches: Learning in Air Forums - Corey McCullough, University of New Hampshire

• Establishing Ethos in Creative Writing’s Digital Learning Spaces - Adam P Cogbill, University of New Hampshire

• I Can Haz Memz: A Call for Rhetorical Memetics - Bradfield Dittrich, University of New Hampshire

Session Organizer

• Alecia Marie Magnifico, University of New Hampshire