'Playful Identities' research blog

Hello everybody, my name is Michiel de Lange. I live in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Since September 1, 2005, I am doing a PhD research at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam with the Faculty of Philosophy. The research is called Playful Identities and is about the way new information- and communication technologies shape the construction of personal and cultural identities. We will specifically focus on internet, mobile communications, and computer games. The main question is whether and how these digital media will transform a ‘narrative identity’ into a more ‘playful identity’.

For those of you who are interested in the background of the research, here’s the link to the research programme ‘Playful Identities’. The application advertisement for PhD students can found here.

Before becoming a PhD candidate I have worked at a non-profit think-tank called Knowledgeland that starts innovative projects in areas such as creative industries, digital public domain, learning and others. I have also volunteered (and still do sometimes) in a so-called ‘digital playground’ – a computer neighbourhood centre – in Amsterdam called Cybersoek, that brings people from the neighbourhood together and teaches them how to work with computers and digital media.

So this is me: