AEMS Online Reviews: A Virtual Village

Benton, Catherine

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129017 Copy

Description

Title

AEMS Online Reviews: A Virtual Village

Author(s)

Benton, Catherine

Contributor(s)

• Gottschalk, Peter
• Schmalz, Mathew
• Loyer, Anne

Issue Date

2007-11-30

Keyword(s)

AEMS Online Reviews

Date of Ingest

2025-08-10T23:26:49-05:00

Geographic Coverage

India

Abstract

A Virtual Village, created by Peter Gottschalk and Mathew Schmalz and housed at Wesleyan University, takes us to an Indian village in the northeast Indian state of Bihar, given the fictional name of Arampur (to protect the privacy of its residents). Interactive technology invites visitors to wander through the village using maps containing links to places and people. In 360-degree panoramic views, we visit temples, mosques, and shops; observe everyday village activities like eating, shopping, carrying wood, going for medical help, and visiting shrines; and listen to people speaking about their lives in the three languages of the village, Hindi, Urdu, and Bhojpuri (with English translations). A Virtual Village is an effective way to introduce students to life in an Indian village, to help them begin to understand villagers as individuals with articulated perspectives, concerns, and systems of shared meaning. Clearly a product of many years of field work and academic analysis, A Virtual Village draws in visitors with its fun technology and interactive visuals, and keeps them returning to Arampur by offering layers of substantive narratives to explore. Organized with clear menus to facilitate searching for specifics like art, architecture, and gender, the site also offers reflections on how the village is affected by its proximity to the ancient city, Banaras, and the reaches of 21st-century globalization.

Publisher

Asian Educational Media Service

Type of Resource

text

Genre of Resource

essay

Language

eng

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies

Owning Collections