Angela Thomas, aka Anya Ixchel, is a lecturer in English Education from the University of Sydney. Have a look at her blog (now added to our blogroll) which has some really interesting posts on feminism and digital cultures / virtual worlds. She will also be presenting a seminar in Second Life entitled ‘No More Business Suits Please’. The blurb sounds fascinating:

Second Life offers a unique opportunity to refashion one’s self and to play with fictional identities. Yet many of us who work inside Second Life feel trapped in our offline identity roles and conform to traditional discourses of femininity, masculinity, appearance, beauty and fashion. Professionals wear business suits, educators cry out for more modest clothing, and artists wear funky coloured skins. In some contexts, people who resist these discourses are discriminated against. This session explores how we might be able to leverage one of the greatest affordances of Second Life—the avatar—for personal, community and professional agendas.

posted by Charlie