A transmedia

analysis of the

Matrix universe

as a Bourdieusian

frameworkRaúl A. Mora, Ph.D.

Polina Golovátina-Mora, Ph.D.Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana,

Sede Central Medellín

Tenth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry

University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignMay 24, 2014

Approximations to epistemology

and social science

• Young scholars sometimes have difficulty approaching highly-dense frameworks – a daunting task– Polina’ s experience in School of Social Sciences – a trigger for reflection

• Popular culture – a useful tool to generate reflexivity and epistemological stances, if properly used.

– a powerful entry point to larger conceptual discussions?

Why Bourdieu?

• The Bourdieusian framework was, above all, a critique of society and power dynamics in social interactions

Bourdieu on society & popular

culture

• On Television• The Field of Cultural Production• Reproduction in Education, Society, and Culture

• The Rules of Art: Genesis and structure of the literary field

• The Weight of the World: Social Suffering in Contemporary Society

Why The Matrix?

• The Matrix was one of the most influential movies of all time

– Matrix universe (trilogy, anime, videogames) helped change the game of transmedia (Evans, 2011; Scolari, 2009) messages.

• The Matrix was, above all, a critique of society and power dynamics in social interactions

This study as our shared agenda

• Interdisciplinary analysis of popular culture through socio-cultural and socio-critical frameworks:

– Polina: Historiography, monstrous theory, narrative research

– Raúl: Literacy, critical discourse analysis, ethnographic methods

Previous research that supports

joint agenda• Mora:

– CDA of Pop Culture (2006 – Friends; 2009 –Chris Rock; 2012 – Ads for online English courses; 2014 – Zombies; In press –Colombian comedy

– Bourdieu (2004 – MA Thesis; 2011, 2012 –Reflexivity)

• Golovátina-Mora– CDA of pop culture (2013 – Monsters (3x); 2013 – Vampires (3x); 2014 – Dystopian YA literature; In press – I Served the King of England)

This presentation

• Share how we used Bourdieu to analyze the social interactions that take place in the Matrix universe.

• Rely on the transmediatic (Evans, 2011; Scolari, 2009) nature of “The Matrix” as a very useful tool to understand the complexity of the Bourdieusian framework.

Sources and Analysis

Sources

• Matrix Trilogy– The Matrix

– Matrix: Reloaded

– Matrix: Revolutions

• The Animatrix– 8 anime stories

– Gap-fillers between Matrix and Reloaded

Analysis

• Multiple viewings of the media

• Dialogic (Holquist, 2001) exchange of ideas between two authors

• Polyangulation (Mertler, 2012)

The Bourdieusian Framework

• Field• Habitus

– Awareness of habitus

• Navigating the fields– Conservation– Subversion

• Illusió• Capital

– Cultural – Social

• Practice• Reflexivity

• Reality is a social construct– The basis for the possibility of change

Three Fields in The Matrix

The Matrix• Imbued with social dynamics

Zion• The alternative to The Matrix

Machine City• Interconnected to Matrix and Zion

Matrix as habitus

• Historically ingrained– Six versions of “The One”

• Helps determine courses of action

Consciousness about the habitus

• Not impossible, but not easy either (Bourdieu)

• “Only exceptional people are aware of The Matrix” (World Record – The Animatrix)

Choice as a strategy to sustain the

habitus?

• Choice as Illusion (Smith)– Historical – Social– Personal

• Choice as awareness (Neo)– Personal– Social– Historical

Navigating the field

Conservation

• Deletion

• Programs

• Merovingian

• Commander Locke

• Beyond (The Animatrix)

Subversion

• Morpheus

• Trinity

• Niobe

• Persephone

Capital and Practice

Social Capital

• As “networks”:– The Keymaker

– Seraph

Cultural Capital

• As Knowledge– Flying a B212 chopper

– The Architect

• Cultural capital vs. practice:– Neo: “I know Kung-Fu”

– Morpheus: “Show me”

• “There is no spoon”

Reflexivity

• Socially-based reflection that leads to change

– Morpheus

– The Oracle

• Freeing people from The Matrix

– Ultimate moment of reflexivity as social change

Lessons we learned

• Vis-à-vis Bourdieu– The Matrix Universe is, in fact, a very useful resource to unfurl the complexity of the Bourdieusian framework

– It shows how the framework operates as a woven unit, not to be seen in isolation.

• Using the media as a tool actually triggered more profound conversations about the framework itself– Schemata?– Visible frames of reference?

• Popular culture, when properly used, provides very useful teachable moments (Cfr. Alvermann, et al., 2004)

How far can we go?

• We’ re only halfway through with the transmedia analysis!– Video games (Enter the Matrix, etc.)

– Documentaries and other literature

• How about a Bourdieu v. Matrix class?– A plausible approach to teach sociology and philosophy.

– A whole methodology? Transmedia in social epistemology?

Thank You!

• Raúl A. Mora, Ph.D.

– raul.mora@upb.edu.co

• Polina Golovátina-Mora, Ph.D.

– polina.golovatina@upb.edu.co

• Presentation available soon on Academia.edu