The Role of Digital Spaces in Making Neo-homesteading Movements
Sobelman, Emily Kate
Sobelman, Emily Kate
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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.
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2023-01-01