Funded by PRIN 2022, this project investigates from a sociocultural perspective the mainstream narratives of emerging virtual and augmented reality worlds based on the Metaverse. By comparing previous and contemporary research on virtual worlds and digital environments in media studies, STS, and social studies of techno-imaginaries, the project aims to trace and analyze mainstream narratives and discursive practices that co-construct the Metaverse as a technology and as a space of social interaction, also analyzing the interpretations and activities of “early users” and metaverse-based platforms in the Italian and in the Chinese contexts.
Project partners: Politecnico di Milano, Università degli Studi di Siena, Federico II di Napoli.
Funding period: October 2023 – October 2025
(National PI: Paolo Bory)