Buddhist monastery: University of Aberdeen
Dr. Will Tuladhar-Douglas is an anthropologist specializing in religion, ecology and technology at the University of Aberdeen. His web page (previous link) makes for some pretty interesting reading (especially the stuff about sharing parasites with bats – eww). Anyway, some of his response to the latest snapshot survey follows.
What are you doing in virtual worlds?
We’re building a Buddhist monastery as part of a 2nd year course on the anthropology of Buddhism. It’s not designed to be ‘authentic’ – rather, we’re focussing on the student experience. A subset of the class will create avatars, learn to socialize in Second Life in all its indulgent glory, and then surrender all fashion, wealth and gender to become temporary monks/nuns. After engaging with other inhabitants as mendicant renunciants for a few weeks, they will go back to their ordinary life.
Do you think you’ll do more virtual world “stuff” in your institution in the next academic year?
Yes. We’re planning to integrate with Sloodle and I’m looking to collaborate with creative colleagues on building ‘living manuscripts’ and the like.
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