I tell myself : performing identity in a digital public sphere

This thesis examines new and expanding forms of personal storytelling in digital culture, asking whether they are contributing to a meaningful evolution of the public sphere, or merely fostering a culture of narcissism, as some charge. Theories from fields ranging from performance studies, political science, psychology, media studies, and life writing—along with my personal experiences creating a filmic performance entitled I Tell Myself (a 75-minute video production that complements this report)—have convinced me that much of the identity-construction potential found in art forms such as live autoperformance and written memoir is also found in Internet confessionals and other contemporary filmic forms which, on the surface, may appear to be largely solipsistic. I show that current tendencies to blur distinctions between public and private discourse are leading to an emerging form of democratic agonism that is culturally transformative.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Theatre

Grantor

University of Texas at Austin

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Malof, Peter Kildare, 1962-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Miller, Lynn, 1951-

• Personal storytelling
• Digital culture
• Culture of narcissism

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © is held by the author. Presentation of this material on the Libraries' web site by University Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin was made possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in the works.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Identifier

doi:10.15781/T24F1MQ1H

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/46717