The Second Life In Cyberspace-a Study Of Virtual Communities Culture

Various virtual communities which combine with the digital cities closely have the rampant development. Meanwhile, the network crimes and legal disputes which with the consumption of virtual communities arouse wide social attentions. Obviously, the internet has penetrated into many aspects of the Chinese daily life, especially in the spiritual aspect. However, the population of virtual communities have changed the Chinese life style and the following social and cultural phenomena also provide the new resources for the interdisciplinary study of comparative literature. With the angle of cultural study and the special situations of China, this article uses many literary theories to explain the "Second Life"(abbr. SL), a 3-dimention virtual community for helping the contemporary network cultural construction. This is not only accord with the category of cultural study, but also belongs to the interdisciplinary study of comparative literature, even more, the innovation point.This article is composed with "the introduction", "the main text" and the "conclusion". Meanwhile, the "the main text" can divide into three parts.Introduction:since the 1990's, the comparative literature faces the challenge of cultural study. Meanwhile, it's also the new chance for self developments. The rising of network culture even promotes the interdisciplinary thinking of comparative literature. With development of net technology, virtual communities have become the popular cultural phenomenon. Secondly, it explains the research methods, logical conceptions and the characteristics of "Second Life" 3-dimention virtual community.The first part:with the title "wondering in the cyberspace", it emphasizes that, compared with the instant communication and E-mail tools, according to the powerful virtual reality technology nowadays, the Second Life 3-dimention virtual community which provides the on-line shopping and interactive games that full of visual and sensible experiences has been the most popular way to wonder in the cyberspace. Then, it analyses the concept of virtual community and commends the characteristics of the Second Life 3-dimention virtual community.The second part:with the title "start the second life", combining the era background, origin evolution and the special situations of China. It analyzes the "Second Life" 3-dimention virtual community, by using the documentary and observational methods to collect the materials, from four aspects, that is, the space, the time, the gender and the body, which are closely related with our existence. So we can see:such 3-dimention virtual communities just like the "Second Life" really make us experience the second life in some degree. But, such life obviously can't be summarized in few words for it is related with many issues such as the virtual reality and the daily life, the virtual time and the real cases,or the virtual body and the laws. Be in the net, meanwhile, it effects our lives also make them like a complicated and funny game.The third part:with the title "digital e-topia", based on the concrete analyses above, it make the aesthetical reflection about the "Second Life" 3-dimention virtual community. According to the three chapters, technology and art, ideology mist and the study of consumption culture, reveal the "Second Life" 3-dimention virtual community which has the high-degree simulation reached a new level whether in the technology or the art. In one sense, they are hardly to discriminate within the new cooperation environment and art practices. Although the ubiquity database cages in the cyberspace make the utopia fantasy impossible. However, its consumption culture characteristics don't veil the sacred and symbolic signification of materials which fascinates the mass in the mixed social background and culture atmosphere.Conclusion:as one of the digital street view in the 21st century, the 3-dimention virtual communities provide us a way to wondering in the cyberspace. Meanwhile, the more importantly, within the various globalization processes, they change the acknowledges of space, time, gender and body completely and construct the multi-aesthetic experiences in many aspect like technology and art, ideology mist and the study of consumption culture. Though the whole analysis to the "Second Life" 3-dimention virtual community belongs to the case study which has no universality, it also shows the efforts to embody the virtual communities in cyberspace combining the era background and the special situations of China. So it has meanings in some degree. Afterwards, we should expand the study scales according to the situations, and reduce the deviations for contributing more to the Chinese net culture construction.