The Army rolls through Indianapolis: Fieldwork at the Virtual Army Experience
This essay takes an ethnographic look at the individuals and institutions associated with the development, production, and implementation of the Virtual Army Experience (VAE), a mobile mission simulator that travels across the United States to venues such as state fairs and air shows. As an explicit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Organization for Transformative Works
2009-03-01
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| Series: | Transformative Works and Cultures |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/80/97 |
| _version_ | 1818571603714244608 |
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| author | Robertson Allen |
| author_facet | Robertson Allen |
| author_sort | Robertson Allen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This essay takes an ethnographic look at the individuals and institutions associated with the development, production, and implementation of the Virtual Army Experience (VAE), a mobile mission simulator that travels across the United States to venues such as state fairs and air shows. As an explicit aid to Army recruitment and interaction with the public, the VAE is an interesting nexus point that often channels public anxieties surrounding the medium of the video game and its role in the militarization of society. Here, I present my own experience of doing ethnography at this site, describing how it is received by visitors and interpreted by its employees. By means of the example of the VAE, I argue that polarizing media reports and academic criticisms that pit the processes of militarization against critical reflection of those processes are counterproductive and result in silencing more nuanced and thoughtful critical reflection that is already present at sites such as the VAE. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T13:58:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-11d57f05514b46e48a9bf16775d4f736 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1941-2258 1941-2258 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T13:58:14Z |
| publishDate | 2009-03-01 |
| publisher | Organization for Transformative Works |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Transformative Works and Cultures |
| spelling | doaj.art-11d57f05514b46e48a9bf16775d4f7362022-12-21T22:58:47ZengOrganization for Transformative WorksTransformative Works and Cultures1941-22581941-22582009-03-01210.3983/twc.2009.0080The Army rolls through Indianapolis: Fieldwork at the Virtual Army ExperienceRobertson Allen0University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United StatesThis essay takes an ethnographic look at the individuals and institutions associated with the development, production, and implementation of the Virtual Army Experience (VAE), a mobile mission simulator that travels across the United States to venues such as state fairs and air shows. As an explicit aid to Army recruitment and interaction with the public, the VAE is an interesting nexus point that often channels public anxieties surrounding the medium of the video game and its role in the militarization of society. Here, I present my own experience of doing ethnography at this site, describing how it is received by visitors and interpreted by its employees. By means of the example of the VAE, I argue that polarizing media reports and academic criticisms that pit the processes of militarization against critical reflection of those processes are counterproductive and result in silencing more nuanced and thoughtful critical reflection that is already present at sites such as the VAE.http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/80/97America's ArmyArmy Experience CenterEthnographyMarketingMilitarizationMilitary recruitmentPropagandaU.S. ArmyVideo game |
| spellingShingle | Robertson Allen The Army rolls through Indianapolis: Fieldwork at the Virtual Army Experience Transformative Works and Cultures America's Army Army Experience Center Ethnography Marketing Militarization Military recruitment Propaganda U.S. Army Video game |
| title | The Army rolls through Indianapolis: Fieldwork at the Virtual Army Experience |
| title_full | The Army rolls through Indianapolis: Fieldwork at the Virtual Army Experience |
| title_fullStr | The Army rolls through Indianapolis: Fieldwork at the Virtual Army Experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Army rolls through Indianapolis: Fieldwork at the Virtual Army Experience |
| title_short | The Army rolls through Indianapolis: Fieldwork at the Virtual Army Experience |
| title_sort | army rolls through indianapolis fieldwork at the virtual army experience |
| topic | America's Army Army Experience Center Ethnography Marketing Militarization Military recruitment Propaganda U.S. Army Video game |
| url | http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/80/97 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertsonallen thearmyrollsthroughindianapolisfieldworkatthevirtualarmyexperience AT robertsonallen armyrollsthroughindianapolisfieldworkatthevirtualarmyexperience |