From the two readings, Handbook of Symbolic Interactionism and The Social and Cultural Significance of Online Game, it is worth noting that both the excerpts lead to countless gathering and interactions. According to Reynolds and Herman-Kinney, (2003) small and enduring organizations occasion gatherings of an entire membership. On the same note, Crawford, Gosling, & Light (2013) holds that online gaming has implications and interactions beyond the gaming world. This implies that gamers will interact or many relations between gamers will go beyond out of game plus offline world. Online games are like real-world organizations in the sense that, the game alone (video gaming) is a multibillion-dollar industry where during 2017, over 67% of Americans took part in online/video games (Crawford, Gosling, & Light 2013). Interactions process or concept is useful in analyzing game world dynamics where there is the negotiation of lines of action.
According to Becker and McCallum (2009), the organizational process of recruitment jointly determines a person’s prescribed role which in turn influences interaction process. However, in online gaming, only the gamers determine their prescribed roles that influence their interaction process, both online and out of the game. MMORPG games operate differently compared to social organization interaction in the sense that technology is used. Networking is essential when playing online games, which later can lead to interactions between the gamers outside the gaming world (Lenhart et al., 2008).
The study of online gaming helps us to understand better organization interactions among human social groups in the sense that gamers socialize together to learn complex patterns of interactions, structure, as well as literacy evident in the game. However, patterns of interaction are not created by the game itself, but via the gamer’s community, as well as through repeated interactions. Above all, reputation is built through interaction with other gamers as put by Crawford et al., (2011).
- Becker, H. S., & McCall, M. M. (Eds.). (2009). Symbolic interaction and cultural studies. University of Chicago Press.
- Crawford, G., Gosling, V. K., & Light, B. (Eds.). (2013). Gamers: the social and cultural significance of online games(Vol. 56). Routledge.
- Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A. R., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (2008). Teens, Video Games, and Civics: Teens’ Gaming Experiences Are Diverse and Include Significant Social Interaction and Civic Engagement. Pew internet & American life project.
- Reynolds, L. T., & Herman-Kinney, N. J. (2003). Taking stock: A handbook for symbolic interactionists. Handbook of Symbolic interactionism, 3-12.