Date of Completion
2023
Thesis Type
College of Arts and Science Honors
Department
Environmental Studies
First Advisor
Ingrid Nelson
Second Advisor
Dona Brown
Third Advisor
Mark Usher
Keywords
digital geographies, critical game studies, homesteading, Stardew Valley
Abstract
: Homesteading ideology has been documented in the United States and globally since the late 1800s. It involves a desire for self-sufficiency through going ‘back to the land’ and a rejection of mainstream economic practices (e.g., monopolistic capitalism and agro-industrial systems). A new iteration of homesteading, often called “modern” or “neo” homesteading reflects these histories while embracing digital technologies such as blogs and digital games. My research explores the ways that neo-homesteaders engage with digital technologies, and how digital and physical spatial practices coproduce neo-homesteading discourses and aesthetics. The primary sites of analysis are the widely popular digital homesteading game, Stardew Valley, and the digital productions of multiple neo-homesteading personalities through blogs and linked social media. This is a mixed-methods study involving participant observation, auto-ethnography and semi-structured interviews to examine narratives about neo-homesteading and nature, rurality and urbanity, and self-sufficiency co-produced through engagement with digital spaces.
Recommended Citation
Sobelman, Emily Kate, "The Role of Digital Spaces in Making Neo-homesteading Movements" (2023). UVM College of Arts and Sciences College Honors Theses. 167.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/castheses/167