Laurel's Utopia
Upon
reading the first 52 pages of Brenda Laurel's utopian entrepreneur, I
was hooked. Who knew that I would enjoy a small book about a failed
gaming business, but I am. Laurel examines the rewards of being socially
positive and a culture worker. I found it interesting that despite trying
to "do positive work for girls in the
context of popular culture" she was criticized not only by typical
middle-age man but by a feminist as well. Despite the criticism, girls
and their parents noticed, and in droves, but the company went bankrupt
anyways. The rewards are greater than the risks though. Laurel's
endeavors provided research "to find out"
more regarding girls and gaming. Laurel mirrors Koster when she states
that "research as practice involves
understanding people (or gamers) in
different ways." She further states that "fans need to be able to appropriate cultural material to construct
personal meaning." This resonates perfectly with our class.
I happened to be reading this book around the time I was applying for my current job at Seton Hill, and I thought it fit beautifully with the entrepreneurial focus of the school, as well as its history as a women's college. So I'm very glad to hear you're making these connections and gaining from this text.