IdeaWazaWiki - User contributions [en]

Space Capital

2019-05-29T09:54:47Z

81.152.106.49: /* Thought Leadership */

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Space Angels
| logo = Space Angels logo.png
| logo_size = 275px
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| traded_as =
| founder =
| area_served =
| key_people = Chief Executive Officer: Chad Anderson
| industry = [[Angel investor|Angel Investing]], [[Venture Capital]]
| genre =
| products = [[Investments]], Angel Group
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| aum =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| parent =
| divisions =
| subsid =
| footnotes =
| intl =
| homepage = {{URL|http://spaceangels.com/}}
| caption =
| foundation = 2007
| location_city = [[New York City|New York]]
| location_country = United States
| location =
| locations =
}}

'''Space Angels''' (formerly known as '''Space Angels Network Inc.''') is a privately held financial services company with a group of [[angel investor]]s who are focused exclusively on the [[aerospace]] industry.<ref name=":0">'''The Tauri Group.''' ''Start-Up Space: Rising Investment in Commercial Space Ventures.'' Alexandria, VA : s.n., 2016</ref> It is based in New York with virtual offices in London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Seattle, San Francisco, Stockholm, and Zurich.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160714/angels-sending-money-into-space|title=Angels sending money into space|last=Times|first=Samantha Masunaga Los Angeles|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceref.biz/business-briefs/space-angels-network-establishes-hub-in-hong-kong.html|title=Space Angels Network Establishes Hub in Hong Kong - SpaceRef Business|website=spaceref.biz|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> The typical investment is between $500,000 to $1,000,000 USD of equity.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://swtimes.com/business/why-investment-space-companies-heating|title=Why investment in space companies is heating up|last=Times|first=Samantha Masunaga Los Angeles|date=2016-07-17|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> Space Angels operates as a financial services company in that it offers deal discovery, manages the deal flow pipeline, conducts due diligence, facilitates equity investment, and manages portfolio investments. More recently, it has developed an online platform with virtual deal rooms, where investors can see deal information and execute on investments.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/faq/|title=FAQ - Space Angels Network|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref>

The company was founded in 2007<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/space-angels#/entity|title=Space Angels Network {{!}} CrunchBase|website=www.crunchbase.com|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> with four Founding Members and it has since added seven Founding Partners. As of July 2016 the group comprised 214 accredited investors across 26 countries.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spacenews.com/continued-space-investment-growth-not-guaranteed-investors-caution/|title=Continued space investment growth not guaranteed, investors caution - SpaceNews.com|date=2016-04-14|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150810-rocketing-prices-the-investors-eyeing-the-riches-of-space|title=Rocketing prices: The investors eyeing the riches of space|last=Cruddas|first=Sarah|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> It has invested in 33 companies including four in H1 2016, mostly in Seed and Series A rounds.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

== History ==
Space Angels was founded in 2007 with the goal to manage and coordinate a group of [[angel investor]]s that are specifically focused on the [[aerospace]] industry. The group began with four Founding Members: [[Esther Dyson]] (EDventure Holdings), Stephen Fleming (Atlanta Technology Angels), David S. Rose ([[New York Angels]]), and Ed Tuck (Falcon Fund).<ref name=":2" />

Since 2012, with the addition of Chad Anderson as CEO, this mandate has expanded and involves deal discovery, managing the deal flow pipeline, conducting due diligence, facilitating equity investment, and managing portfolio investments. In 2015, Space Angels added seven Founding Partners: [[Eric C. Anderson|Eric Anderson]], [[Esther Dyson]], Yoel Gat, Steven Jorgenson, Nathan Kaiser, Joshua Schrager, and [[Dylan Taylor (executive)|Dylan Taylor]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

In 2017, the company rebranded as Space Angels - dropping "Network" from the name, unveiled a new logo, and launched a new website.<ref name="spaceangels.com">{{cite web|url=http://spaceangels.com/press-releases/space-angels-network-rebrands-as-space-angels|title=SpaceAngels.com|website=spaceangels.com|accessdate=June 5, 2017}}</ref> As part of this rebranding a new company tagline was also announced: Explore | Invest | Ascend, which was said to reflect the company's new brand platform and belief that "space investing offers access to both adventure and meaning".<ref name="spaceangels.com"/>

== Business Model ==

=== Accredited Investors ===
Membership in Space Angels limited to investors who qualify as [[accredited investor]]s under [[Regulation D (SEC)|Regulation D of the Securities and Exchange Commission]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Currently the 214 investors have been actively sourced across multiple countries including: Australia, China, United States of America, United Kingdom, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, India, South Korea.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />

=== Deals ===
The number of deals executed through Space Angels as of H1 2016, stands at 33. Of the deals reviewed by Space Angels, only 5% are deemed investment grade and curated for presentation to members.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2016/05/27/asteroid-mining-company-planetary-resources-raises-21-million-for-earth-observation/#578f1a334fa6|title=Asteroid Mining Company Planetary Resources Raises $21 Million For Earth Observation|last=Knapp|first=Alex|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> Some of the more prominent deals by the group include [[Planetary Resources]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/11/the-race-to-the-moon-is-underway-as-astrobotic-raises-2-5-million/|title=The race to the moon is underway as Astrobotic raises $2.5 million|last=Calandrelli|first=Emily|website=TechCrunch|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> [[Astrobotic Technology|Astrobotic]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3058795/the-next-frontier-for-ambitious-entrepreneurs-space|title=The Next Frontier For Ambitious Entrepreneurs: Space|date=2016-04-15|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> [[World View Enterprises]],<ref name=":2" /> [[Planet Labs|Planet (formerly Planet Labs)]],<ref name=":2" /> and [[Space Adventures]].<ref name=":0" /> Notable co-investors include: [[Larry Page]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.geekwire.com/2016/planetary-resources-asteroid-mining-earth-observation-21-million-funding/|title=Planetary Resources' asteroid miners focus on Earth observation with $21 million in new funding|date=2016-05-26|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> [[Eric C. Anderson|Eric Anderson]], and [[Peter Diamandis]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

=== Investment Platform ===
Space Angels has developed a proprietary investment platform that provides investors with access to a [[Virtual data room|deal room]] where they can browse and evaluate fund investment opportunities, view investment profiles, and sign investment documents. [[Virtual data room|Deal rooms]] typically contain due diligence reports, pitch books, and an open dialogue with the start-up teams.<ref name=":1" /> Without this investment platform, there would be a lack of advancements in the aerospace industry.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Crouch|first=Geoffrey I.|date=2001-11-01|title=The Market for Space Tourism: Early Indications|journal=Journal of Travel Research|language=en|volume=40|issue=2|pages=213–219|doi=10.1177/004728750104000212|issn=0047-2875}}</ref> Private space investing has been growing very fast for the past 10 years. In 2015 there were more venture capital investments in the private space industry than in the 15 years prior and Space Angels plays a large role in this growing industry.<ref>{{Cite book|title=AIAA SPACE 2016|last=Christensen|first=Carissa B.|last2=Armstrong|first2=Kirsten|last3=Perrino|first3=Raphael|publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|doi=10.2514/6.2016-5233|chapter = Start-Up Space: Rising Investment in Commercial Space Ventures|year = 2016|isbn = 978-1-62410-427-5}}</ref>

=== Expeditions ===
Expeditions are open to members of the Space Angels and typically involve multi-day trip to a city with established and emerging aerospace companies. Members tour the facilities of select companies and meet the team members. In 2014 it was in [[California|South California]], in 2015 it was in [[Seattle]], and in 2016 it was in [[San Francisco]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/expedition/|title=Expedition|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref>

== Thought Leadership ==
In 2016, analysts at Space Angels published an article on the market for [[Space suit|spacesuits]].<ref>'''Anderson, Chad.''' ''Under Pressure: Past, Present, and Future Spacesuit Market.'' New York : Space Angels Network, 2016. http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/content/uploads/2016/07/UNDER-PRESSURE-SPACESUIT-MARKET-REPORT-JULY2016-online.pdf</ref> The report predicts that there will soon be a spike in spacesuit innovation along with a reduction in the time required to bring a new product to market. With companies like [[SpaceX]] and [[Virgin Galactic]] entering the space industry, the next generation of spacesuits will be endowed with new capabilities. Customers will likely demand better communication, more comfort, flexibility, and aesthetic appeal.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.fastcompany.com/the-future-of-spacesuits-space-angels-networks-fascinating-report-4014241|title=The future of spacesuits: Space Angels Network's fascinating report|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26|date=2016-07-19}}</ref>

Prior to this report, Space Angels published a blog outlining a segmentation of the space economy. The new framework is based on “Geographies”, with three primary geographical regions: Terrestrial, In-Space, and Planetary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/2016/06/29/space-economy/|title=The Space Economy - Space Angels Network|date=2016-06-29|website=Space Angels|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref>

In response to proposed amendments to the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Space Angels wrote a letter<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/2016/06/12/commercial-use-of-icbms-impact-to-investment-community/|title=ICBMs - Impact to Investment Community|date=2016-06-12|website=Space Angels|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> to Congress outlining their opposition to allowing excess [[Intercontinental ballistic missile|intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)]] assets available for commercial use.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://newspot.me/n/03LQKRml?s=home|title=Space Angels Network Opposes ICBM Amendment to the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act|website=Particle News|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nasawatch.com/archives/2016/06/more-opposition.html|title=More Opposition to ICBM's as Satellite Launchers - NASA Watch|website=nasawatch.com|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> The primary arguments are that the amendment would benefit one company and disrupt the hard-earned momentum in the emerging [[Miniaturized satellite|small satellite]] commercial [[Launch vehicle|launch]] market.<ref name=":4" />

Earlier in March 2016, Space Angels participated alongside a coalition of 13 space companies to publish a space policy white paper titled “Ensuring US Leadership in Space”.<ref>'''Space Angels Network alongside a coalition of 12 space companies.''' ''Ensuring U.S. Leadership In Space.'' 2016</ref> <blockquote>"The coalition lays out several policy proposals, which, if adopted, will help sustain U.S. leadership in space. Among them are: committing to predictable budgets, funding robust investments, promoting innovative partnerships, and repealing the [[Budget Control Act of 2011]]; continuing global space engagement through programs like the [[International Space Station]]; fully funding the [[Space Launch System]], the [[Orion (spacecraft)|Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle]], and the [[Commercial Crew Development|Commercial Crew programs]]; providing increased resources for national security space and launch programs; promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education; retaining U.S.-educated workers; and further reducing barriers to international trade."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nasawatch.com/archives/2016/03/coalition-of-13.html|title=Coalition of 13 Space Organizations Release Space Policy White Paper - NASA Watch|website=nasawatch.com|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aiaa.org/EnsuringUSLeadershipInSpace/|title=Ensuring U.S. Leadership In Space : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|website=www.aiaa.org|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref></blockquote>

== Space Law & Regulation ==
The investors in Space Angels will likely run into many regulations and laws revolving around the new frontier. Such laws will likely impact investment, but also protect investors. Space activities are conducted by governments, intergovernmental organizations, by hybrids, and by private civil entities.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|title=Space Law: A Treatise (1st ed.)|last=Larsen PB|first=Lyall F|publisher=Ashgate Publishing Limited|year=|isbn=|location=Farnham, Surrey, England|pages=41–42}}</ref> Most investment by civil entities will be conducted in commercial space business. The drafters of the existing space law treaties did not foresee changes in the private ownership of satellites in orbit. This can cause problems if a privately owned satellite is transferred to a new owner located in a state different from the launching state. In such a case the registration and oversight responsibilities as well as the potential liability for damage of the original launching state or states under the OST or the other space treaties continue even though the original launching state is no longer the state appropriate to supervise the satellite.<ref name=":5" />

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* {{URL|http://spaceangels.com/|Space Angels official website}}

[[Category:Private equity firms of the United States]]
[[Category:Space tourism]]
[[Category:Angel investors]]
[[Category:Companies established in 2007]]

Space Capital

2019-05-29T09:53:58Z

81.152.106.49: /* Expeditions */

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Space Angels
| logo = Space Angels logo.png
| logo_size = 275px
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| traded_as =
| founder =
| area_served =
| key_people = Chief Executive Officer: Chad Anderson
| industry = [[Angel investor|Angel Investing]], [[Venture Capital]]
| genre =
| products = [[Investments]], Angel Group
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| aum =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| parent =
| divisions =
| subsid =
| footnotes =
| intl =
| homepage = {{URL|http://spaceangels.com/}}
| caption =
| foundation = 2007
| location_city = [[New York City|New York]]
| location_country = United States
| location =
| locations =
}}

'''Space Angels''' (formerly known as '''Space Angels Network Inc.''') is a privately held financial services company with a group of [[angel investor]]s who are focused exclusively on the [[aerospace]] industry.<ref name=":0">'''The Tauri Group.''' ''Start-Up Space: Rising Investment in Commercial Space Ventures.'' Alexandria, VA : s.n., 2016</ref> It is based in New York with virtual offices in London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Seattle, San Francisco, Stockholm, and Zurich.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160714/angels-sending-money-into-space|title=Angels sending money into space|last=Times|first=Samantha Masunaga Los Angeles|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceref.biz/business-briefs/space-angels-network-establishes-hub-in-hong-kong.html|title=Space Angels Network Establishes Hub in Hong Kong - SpaceRef Business|website=spaceref.biz|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> The typical investment is between $500,000 to $1,000,000 USD of equity.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://swtimes.com/business/why-investment-space-companies-heating|title=Why investment in space companies is heating up|last=Times|first=Samantha Masunaga Los Angeles|date=2016-07-17|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> Space Angels operates as a financial services company in that it offers deal discovery, manages the deal flow pipeline, conducts due diligence, facilitates equity investment, and manages portfolio investments. More recently, it has developed an online platform with virtual deal rooms, where investors can see deal information and execute on investments.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/faq/|title=FAQ - Space Angels Network|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref>

The company was founded in 2007<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/space-angels#/entity|title=Space Angels Network {{!}} CrunchBase|website=www.crunchbase.com|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> with four Founding Members and it has since added seven Founding Partners. As of July 2016 the group comprised 214 accredited investors across 26 countries.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spacenews.com/continued-space-investment-growth-not-guaranteed-investors-caution/|title=Continued space investment growth not guaranteed, investors caution - SpaceNews.com|date=2016-04-14|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150810-rocketing-prices-the-investors-eyeing-the-riches-of-space|title=Rocketing prices: The investors eyeing the riches of space|last=Cruddas|first=Sarah|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> It has invested in 33 companies including four in H1 2016, mostly in Seed and Series A rounds.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

== History ==
Space Angels was founded in 2007 with the goal to manage and coordinate a group of [[angel investor]]s that are specifically focused on the [[aerospace]] industry. The group began with four Founding Members: [[Esther Dyson]] (EDventure Holdings), Stephen Fleming (Atlanta Technology Angels), David S. Rose ([[New York Angels]]), and Ed Tuck (Falcon Fund).<ref name=":2" />

Since 2012, with the addition of Chad Anderson as CEO, this mandate has expanded and involves deal discovery, managing the deal flow pipeline, conducting due diligence, facilitating equity investment, and managing portfolio investments. In 2015, Space Angels added seven Founding Partners: [[Eric C. Anderson|Eric Anderson]], [[Esther Dyson]], Yoel Gat, Steven Jorgenson, Nathan Kaiser, Joshua Schrager, and [[Dylan Taylor (executive)|Dylan Taylor]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

In 2017, the company rebranded as Space Angels - dropping "Network" from the name, unveiled a new logo, and launched a new website.<ref name="spaceangels.com">{{cite web|url=http://spaceangels.com/press-releases/space-angels-network-rebrands-as-space-angels|title=SpaceAngels.com|website=spaceangels.com|accessdate=June 5, 2017}}</ref> As part of this rebranding a new company tagline was also announced: Explore | Invest | Ascend, which was said to reflect the company's new brand platform and belief that "space investing offers access to both adventure and meaning".<ref name="spaceangels.com"/>

== Business Model ==

=== Accredited Investors ===
Membership in Space Angels limited to investors who qualify as [[accredited investor]]s under [[Regulation D (SEC)|Regulation D of the Securities and Exchange Commission]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Currently the 214 investors have been actively sourced across multiple countries including: Australia, China, United States of America, United Kingdom, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, India, South Korea.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />

=== Deals ===
The number of deals executed through Space Angels as of H1 2016, stands at 33. Of the deals reviewed by Space Angels, only 5% are deemed investment grade and curated for presentation to members.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2016/05/27/asteroid-mining-company-planetary-resources-raises-21-million-for-earth-observation/#578f1a334fa6|title=Asteroid Mining Company Planetary Resources Raises $21 Million For Earth Observation|last=Knapp|first=Alex|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> Some of the more prominent deals by the group include [[Planetary Resources]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/11/the-race-to-the-moon-is-underway-as-astrobotic-raises-2-5-million/|title=The race to the moon is underway as Astrobotic raises $2.5 million|last=Calandrelli|first=Emily|website=TechCrunch|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> [[Astrobotic Technology|Astrobotic]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3058795/the-next-frontier-for-ambitious-entrepreneurs-space|title=The Next Frontier For Ambitious Entrepreneurs: Space|date=2016-04-15|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> [[World View Enterprises]],<ref name=":2" /> [[Planet Labs|Planet (formerly Planet Labs)]],<ref name=":2" /> and [[Space Adventures]].<ref name=":0" /> Notable co-investors include: [[Larry Page]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.geekwire.com/2016/planetary-resources-asteroid-mining-earth-observation-21-million-funding/|title=Planetary Resources' asteroid miners focus on Earth observation with $21 million in new funding|date=2016-05-26|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> [[Eric C. Anderson|Eric Anderson]], and [[Peter Diamandis]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

=== Investment Platform ===
Space Angels has developed a proprietary investment platform that provides investors with access to a [[Virtual data room|deal room]] where they can browse and evaluate fund investment opportunities, view investment profiles, and sign investment documents. [[Virtual data room|Deal rooms]] typically contain due diligence reports, pitch books, and an open dialogue with the start-up teams.<ref name=":1" /> Without this investment platform, there would be a lack of advancements in the aerospace industry.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Crouch|first=Geoffrey I.|date=2001-11-01|title=The Market for Space Tourism: Early Indications|journal=Journal of Travel Research|language=en|volume=40|issue=2|pages=213–219|doi=10.1177/004728750104000212|issn=0047-2875}}</ref> Private space investing has been growing very fast for the past 10 years. In 2015 there were more venture capital investments in the private space industry than in the 15 years prior and Space Angels plays a large role in this growing industry.<ref>{{Cite book|title=AIAA SPACE 2016|last=Christensen|first=Carissa B.|last2=Armstrong|first2=Kirsten|last3=Perrino|first3=Raphael|publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|doi=10.2514/6.2016-5233|chapter = Start-Up Space: Rising Investment in Commercial Space Ventures|year = 2016|isbn = 978-1-62410-427-5}}</ref>

=== Expeditions ===
Expeditions are open to members of the Space Angels and typically involve multi-day trip to a city with established and emerging aerospace companies. Members tour the facilities of select companies and meet the team members. In 2014 it was in [[California|South California]], in 2015 it was in [[Seattle]], and in 2016 it was in [[San Francisco]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/expedition/|title=Expedition|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref>

== Thought Leadership ==
In 2016, analysts at Space Angels published an article on the market for [[Space suit|spacesuits]].<ref>'''Anderson, Chad.''' ''Under Pressure: Past, Present, and Future Spacesuit Market.'' New York : Space Angels Network, 2016. http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/content/uploads/2016/07/UNDER-PRESSURE-SPACESUIT-MARKET-REPORT-JULY2016-online.pdf</ref> The report predicts that there will soon be a spike in spacesuit innovation along with a reduction the time required to bring a new product to market. With companies like [[SpaceX]] and [[Virgin Galactic]] entering the space industry, the next generation of spacesuits will be endowed with new capabilities. Customers will likely demand better communication, more comfort, flexibility, and aesthetic appeal.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.fastcompany.com/the-future-of-spacesuits-space-angels-networks-fascinating-report-4014241|title=The future of spacesuits: Space Angels Network's fascinating report|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26|date=2016-07-19}}</ref>

Prior to this report, Space Angels published a blog outlining a segmentation of the space economy. The new framework is based on “Geographies”, with three primary geographical regions: Terrestrial, In-Space, and Planetary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/2016/06/29/space-economy/|title=The Space Economy - Space Angels Network|date=2016-06-29|website=Space Angels|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref>

In response to proposed amendments to the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Space Angels wrote a letter<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/2016/06/12/commercial-use-of-icbms-impact-to-investment-community/|title=ICBMs - Impact to Investment Community|date=2016-06-12|website=Space Angels|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> to Congress outlining their opposition to allowing excess [[Intercontinental ballistic missile|intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)]] assets available for commercial use.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://newspot.me/n/03LQKRml?s=home|title=Space Angels Network Opposes ICBM Amendment to the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act|website=Particle News|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nasawatch.com/archives/2016/06/more-opposition.html|title=More Opposition to ICBM's as Satellite Launchers - NASA Watch|website=nasawatch.com|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> The primary arguments are that the amendment would benefit one company and disrupt the hard-earned momentum in the emerging [[Miniaturized satellite|small satellite]] commercial [[Launch vehicle|launch]] market.<ref name=":4" />

Earlier in March 2016, Space Angels participated alongside a coalition of 13 space companies to publish a space policy white paper titled “Ensuring US Leadership in Space”.<ref>'''Space Angels Network alongside a coalition of 12 space companies.''' ''Ensuring U.S. Leadership In Space.'' 2016</ref> <blockquote>"The coalition lays out several policy proposals, which, if adopted, will help sustain U.S. leadership in space. Among them are: committing to predictable budgets, funding robust investments, promoting innovative partnerships, and repealing the [[Budget Control Act of 2011]]; continuing global space engagement through programs like the [[International Space Station]]; fully funding the [[Space Launch System]], the [[Orion (spacecraft)|Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle]], and the [[Commercial Crew Development|Commercial Crew programs]]; providing increased resources for national security space and launch programs; promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education; retaining U.S.-educated workers; and further reducing barriers to international trade."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nasawatch.com/archives/2016/03/coalition-of-13.html|title=Coalition of 13 Space Organizations Release Space Policy White Paper - NASA Watch|website=nasawatch.com|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aiaa.org/EnsuringUSLeadershipInSpace/|title=Ensuring U.S. Leadership In Space : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|website=www.aiaa.org|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref></blockquote>

== Space Law & Regulation ==
The investors in Space Angels will likely run into many regulations and laws revolving around the new frontier. Such laws will likely impact investment, but also protect investors. Space activities are conducted by governments, intergovernmental organizations, by hybrids, and by private civil entities.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|title=Space Law: A Treatise (1st ed.)|last=Larsen PB|first=Lyall F|publisher=Ashgate Publishing Limited|year=|isbn=|location=Farnham, Surrey, England|pages=41–42}}</ref> Most investment by civil entities will be conducted in commercial space business. The drafters of the existing space law treaties did not foresee changes in the private ownership of satellites in orbit. This can cause problems if a privately owned satellite is transferred to a new owner located in a state different from the launching state. In such a case the registration and oversight responsibilities as well as the potential liability for damage of the original launching state or states under the OST or the other space treaties continue even though the original launching state is no longer the state appropriate to supervise the satellite.<ref name=":5" />

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* {{URL|http://spaceangels.com/|Space Angels official website}}

[[Category:Private equity firms of the United States]]
[[Category:Space tourism]]
[[Category:Angel investors]]
[[Category:Companies established in 2007]]

Space Capital

2019-05-29T09:53:11Z

81.152.106.49: /* Investment Platform */

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Space Angels
| logo = Space Angels logo.png
| logo_size = 275px
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| traded_as =
| founder =
| area_served =
| key_people = Chief Executive Officer: Chad Anderson
| industry = [[Angel investor|Angel Investing]], [[Venture Capital]]
| genre =
| products = [[Investments]], Angel Group
| services =
| revenue =
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| homepage = {{URL|http://spaceangels.com/}}
| caption =
| foundation = 2007
| location_city = [[New York City|New York]]
| location_country = United States
| location =
| locations =
}}

'''Space Angels''' (formerly known as '''Space Angels Network Inc.''') is a privately held financial services company with a group of [[angel investor]]s who are focused exclusively on the [[aerospace]] industry.<ref name=":0">'''The Tauri Group.''' ''Start-Up Space: Rising Investment in Commercial Space Ventures.'' Alexandria, VA : s.n., 2016</ref> It is based in New York with virtual offices in London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Seattle, San Francisco, Stockholm, and Zurich.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160714/angels-sending-money-into-space|title=Angels sending money into space|last=Times|first=Samantha Masunaga Los Angeles|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceref.biz/business-briefs/space-angels-network-establishes-hub-in-hong-kong.html|title=Space Angels Network Establishes Hub in Hong Kong - SpaceRef Business|website=spaceref.biz|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> The typical investment is between $500,000 to $1,000,000 USD of equity.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://swtimes.com/business/why-investment-space-companies-heating|title=Why investment in space companies is heating up|last=Times|first=Samantha Masunaga Los Angeles|date=2016-07-17|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> Space Angels operates as a financial services company in that it offers deal discovery, manages the deal flow pipeline, conducts due diligence, facilitates equity investment, and manages portfolio investments. More recently, it has developed an online platform with virtual deal rooms, where investors can see deal information and execute on investments.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/faq/|title=FAQ - Space Angels Network|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref>

The company was founded in 2007<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/space-angels#/entity|title=Space Angels Network {{!}} CrunchBase|website=www.crunchbase.com|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> with four Founding Members and it has since added seven Founding Partners. As of July 2016 the group comprised 214 accredited investors across 26 countries.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spacenews.com/continued-space-investment-growth-not-guaranteed-investors-caution/|title=Continued space investment growth not guaranteed, investors caution - SpaceNews.com|date=2016-04-14|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150810-rocketing-prices-the-investors-eyeing-the-riches-of-space|title=Rocketing prices: The investors eyeing the riches of space|last=Cruddas|first=Sarah|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> It has invested in 33 companies including four in H1 2016, mostly in Seed and Series A rounds.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

== History ==
Space Angels was founded in 2007 with the goal to manage and coordinate a group of [[angel investor]]s that are specifically focused on the [[aerospace]] industry. The group began with four Founding Members: [[Esther Dyson]] (EDventure Holdings), Stephen Fleming (Atlanta Technology Angels), David S. Rose ([[New York Angels]]), and Ed Tuck (Falcon Fund).<ref name=":2" />

Since 2012, with the addition of Chad Anderson as CEO, this mandate has expanded and involves deal discovery, managing the deal flow pipeline, conducting due diligence, facilitating equity investment, and managing portfolio investments. In 2015, Space Angels added seven Founding Partners: [[Eric C. Anderson|Eric Anderson]], [[Esther Dyson]], Yoel Gat, Steven Jorgenson, Nathan Kaiser, Joshua Schrager, and [[Dylan Taylor (executive)|Dylan Taylor]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

In 2017, the company rebranded as Space Angels - dropping "Network" from the name, unveiled a new logo, and launched a new website.<ref name="spaceangels.com">{{cite web|url=http://spaceangels.com/press-releases/space-angels-network-rebrands-as-space-angels|title=SpaceAngels.com|website=spaceangels.com|accessdate=June 5, 2017}}</ref> As part of this rebranding a new company tagline was also announced: Explore | Invest | Ascend, which was said to reflect the company's new brand platform and belief that "space investing offers access to both adventure and meaning".<ref name="spaceangels.com"/>

== Business Model ==

=== Accredited Investors ===
Membership in Space Angels limited to investors who qualify as [[accredited investor]]s under [[Regulation D (SEC)|Regulation D of the Securities and Exchange Commission]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Currently the 214 investors have been actively sourced across multiple countries including: Australia, China, United States of America, United Kingdom, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, India, South Korea.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />

=== Deals ===
The number of deals executed through Space Angels as of H1 2016, stands at 33. Of the deals reviewed by Space Angels, only 5% are deemed investment grade and curated for presentation to members.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2016/05/27/asteroid-mining-company-planetary-resources-raises-21-million-for-earth-observation/#578f1a334fa6|title=Asteroid Mining Company Planetary Resources Raises $21 Million For Earth Observation|last=Knapp|first=Alex|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> Some of the more prominent deals by the group include [[Planetary Resources]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/11/the-race-to-the-moon-is-underway-as-astrobotic-raises-2-5-million/|title=The race to the moon is underway as Astrobotic raises $2.5 million|last=Calandrelli|first=Emily|website=TechCrunch|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> [[Astrobotic Technology|Astrobotic]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3058795/the-next-frontier-for-ambitious-entrepreneurs-space|title=The Next Frontier For Ambitious Entrepreneurs: Space|date=2016-04-15|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> [[World View Enterprises]],<ref name=":2" /> [[Planet Labs|Planet (formerly Planet Labs)]],<ref name=":2" /> and [[Space Adventures]].<ref name=":0" /> Notable co-investors include: [[Larry Page]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.geekwire.com/2016/planetary-resources-asteroid-mining-earth-observation-21-million-funding/|title=Planetary Resources' asteroid miners focus on Earth observation with $21 million in new funding|date=2016-05-26|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> [[Eric C. Anderson|Eric Anderson]], and [[Peter Diamandis]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

=== Investment Platform ===
Space Angels has developed a proprietary investment platform that provides investors with access to a [[Virtual data room|deal room]] where they can browse and evaluate fund investment opportunities, view investment profiles, and sign investment documents. [[Virtual data room|Deal rooms]] typically contain due diligence reports, pitch books, and an open dialogue with the start-up teams.<ref name=":1" /> Without this investment platform, there would be a lack of advancements in the aerospace industry.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Crouch|first=Geoffrey I.|date=2001-11-01|title=The Market for Space Tourism: Early Indications|journal=Journal of Travel Research|language=en|volume=40|issue=2|pages=213–219|doi=10.1177/004728750104000212|issn=0047-2875}}</ref> Private space investing has been growing very fast for the past 10 years. In 2015 there were more venture capital investments in the private space industry than in the 15 years prior and Space Angels plays a large role in this growing industry.<ref>{{Cite book|title=AIAA SPACE 2016|last=Christensen|first=Carissa B.|last2=Armstrong|first2=Kirsten|last3=Perrino|first3=Raphael|publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|doi=10.2514/6.2016-5233|chapter = Start-Up Space: Rising Investment in Commercial Space Ventures|year = 2016|isbn = 978-1-62410-427-5}}</ref>

=== Expeditions ===
Expeditions are open to members of the Space Angels and typically involve multi-day trip to a city with established and emerging aerospace companies. Members tour the facilities of select companies and meet the team members. In 2014 it was in [[California|South California]], in 2015 it was in [[Seattle]], and in 2016 it will be in [[San Francisco]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/expedition/|title=Expedition|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref>

== Thought Leadership ==
In 2016, analysts at Space Angels published an article on the market for [[Space suit|spacesuits]].<ref>'''Anderson, Chad.''' ''Under Pressure: Past, Present, and Future Spacesuit Market.'' New York : Space Angels Network, 2016. http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/content/uploads/2016/07/UNDER-PRESSURE-SPACESUIT-MARKET-REPORT-JULY2016-online.pdf</ref> The report predicts that there will soon be a spike in spacesuit innovation along with a reduction the time required to bring a new product to market. With companies like [[SpaceX]] and [[Virgin Galactic]] entering the space industry, the next generation of spacesuits will be endowed with new capabilities. Customers will likely demand better communication, more comfort, flexibility, and aesthetic appeal.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.fastcompany.com/the-future-of-spacesuits-space-angels-networks-fascinating-report-4014241|title=The future of spacesuits: Space Angels Network's fascinating report|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26|date=2016-07-19}}</ref>

Prior to this report, Space Angels published a blog outlining a segmentation of the space economy. The new framework is based on “Geographies”, with three primary geographical regions: Terrestrial, In-Space, and Planetary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/2016/06/29/space-economy/|title=The Space Economy - Space Angels Network|date=2016-06-29|website=Space Angels|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref>

In response to proposed amendments to the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Space Angels wrote a letter<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spaceangelsnetwork.com/2016/06/12/commercial-use-of-icbms-impact-to-investment-community/|title=ICBMs - Impact to Investment Community|date=2016-06-12|website=Space Angels|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> to Congress outlining their opposition to allowing excess [[Intercontinental ballistic missile|intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)]] assets available for commercial use.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://newspot.me/n/03LQKRml?s=home|title=Space Angels Network Opposes ICBM Amendment to the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act|website=Particle News|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nasawatch.com/archives/2016/06/more-opposition.html|title=More Opposition to ICBM's as Satellite Launchers - NASA Watch|website=nasawatch.com|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref> The primary arguments are that the amendment would benefit one company and disrupt the hard-earned momentum in the emerging [[Miniaturized satellite|small satellite]] commercial [[Launch vehicle|launch]] market.<ref name=":4" />

Earlier in March 2016, Space Angels participated alongside a coalition of 13 space companies to publish a space policy white paper titled “Ensuring US Leadership in Space”.<ref>'''Space Angels Network alongside a coalition of 12 space companies.''' ''Ensuring U.S. Leadership In Space.'' 2016</ref> <blockquote>"The coalition lays out several policy proposals, which, if adopted, will help sustain U.S. leadership in space. Among them are: committing to predictable budgets, funding robust investments, promoting innovative partnerships, and repealing the [[Budget Control Act of 2011]]; continuing global space engagement through programs like the [[International Space Station]]; fully funding the [[Space Launch System]], the [[Orion (spacecraft)|Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle]], and the [[Commercial Crew Development|Commercial Crew programs]]; providing increased resources for national security space and launch programs; promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education; retaining U.S.-educated workers; and further reducing barriers to international trade."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nasawatch.com/archives/2016/03/coalition-of-13.html|title=Coalition of 13 Space Organizations Release Space Policy White Paper - NASA Watch|website=nasawatch.com|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aiaa.org/EnsuringUSLeadershipInSpace/|title=Ensuring U.S. Leadership In Space : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics|website=www.aiaa.org|access-date=2016-07-26}}</ref></blockquote>

== Space Law & Regulation ==
The investors in Space Angels will likely run into many regulations and laws revolving around the new frontier. Such laws will likely impact investment, but also protect investors. Space activities are conducted by governments, intergovernmental organizations, by hybrids, and by private civil entities.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|title=Space Law: A Treatise (1st ed.)|last=Larsen PB|first=Lyall F|publisher=Ashgate Publishing Limited|year=|isbn=|location=Farnham, Surrey, England|pages=41–42}}</ref> Most investment by civil entities will be conducted in commercial space business. The drafters of the existing space law treaties did not foresee changes in the private ownership of satellites in orbit. This can cause problems if a privately owned satellite is transferred to a new owner located in a state different from the launching state. In such a case the registration and oversight responsibilities as well as the potential liability for damage of the original launching state or states under the OST or the other space treaties continue even though the original launching state is no longer the state appropriate to supervise the satellite.<ref name=":5" />

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* {{URL|http://spaceangels.com/|Space Angels official website}}

[[Category:Private equity firms of the United States]]
[[Category:Space tourism]]
[[Category:Angel investors]]
[[Category:Companies established in 2007]]

Military history of the peoples of the British Islands

2009-01-12T16:34:59Z

81.152.86.9: /* 20th Century */

{{Refimprove|date=May 2007}}
{{Cleanup|date=July 2007}}
{{UKHBS}}
{{Portal|British Army|Flag of the British Army.svg|65}}
'''The military history of the peoples of the British Isles''' is long and varied, extending from the [[prehistoric]] and ancient historic period, through the [[Roman invasion of Britain|Roman invasions]] of [[Julius Caesar]] and [[Claudius]], with the subsequent [[Roman Britain|Roman occupation]] of most of the island; [[war]]fare in the [[Great Britain in the Middle Ages|Middle Ages]], including the invasions of the [[Saxon people|Saxons]] and the [[Viking]]s in the [[Early Middle Ages]], the [[Norman Conquest]] of England, [[Wars of Scottish Independence|wars between Scotland and England]] and between England and [[France]]; through the [[Early Modern Britain|early modern period]], wars against [[Spain]] and [[France]], and the [[English Civil War]], and the beginnings of the colonial [[British Empire]] in [[British Raj|India]] and [[British colonization of the Americas|North America]]; and into the modern period with the [[Napoleonic Wars]] and the [[Crimean War]] and into the 20th century with the [[Second Boer War|Boer War]], [[World War I]] and [[World War II]], the [[Cold War]] the [[Korean War]]; and, most recently, [[Northern Ireland]], the [[Falklands War]] and military operations in the [[Balkans]] and the [[Middle East]].

==List of military encounters==
===Prehistoric and Classical period===
* [[Celtic conquest of Britain]]
* [[Roman conquest of Britain]] (43)
* [[Boudica#Boudica.27s uprising|Boudica's uprising]] (61)
** [[Battle of Watling Street]]

===Mediæval period===
* [[Battle of Aylesford]] (455) Anglo-Saxons, Romano-Britons
* [[Battle of Ellandun]]
* [[Viking Britain|Viking invasions]] (793–1066)
** Raid on [[Lindisfarne]] (793)
** [[Alfred the Great#Public life|Campaign of Alfred the Great]] (871–899)
*** [[Battle of Edington]] (878)
** [[Battle of Cannington]] (878)
** [[Battle of Ashingdon]] (1016)
** [[Battle of Fulford]] (1066)
** [[Battle of Stamford Bridge]] (1066)
* [[Norman Conquest of England]] (1066)
** [[The Battle of Hastings]] 1066
* [[Rebellion of 1088]] - civil war
* [[The Anarchy]] (1135–1154) - civil war
* [[Battle of Renfrew]] (1164)
* [[Revolt of 1173-1174]] - civil war
* [[Third Crusade]] (1189-1192)
* Richard I's war in France
* [[Welsh uprising of 1211]]
* [[Battle of Bouvines]] (1214) - loss of Normandy
* [[First Barons' War]] (1215–1217) - civil war
* Henry III's war in France
* [[Battle of Largs]]
* [[Second Barons' War]] (1264–1267) - civil war
* [[Welsh Uprising (1282)|Welsh Uprising]] (1282) - civil war
* Edward I's war in France
* [[First War of Scottish Independence|The First War of Scottish Independence]] (1296–1328)
** [[Battle of Dunbar]] (1296)
** [[Battle of Stirling Bridge]] (1297)
** [[Battle of Roslin]] (1303)
** [[Battle of Methven]] (1306)
** [[Battle of Bannockburn]] (1314)
* Edward II's war in France
* [[Second War of Scottish Independence|The Second War of Scottish Independence]] (1332–1357)
* [[Hundred Years' War]] (1337 to 1453) against France
** War of Edward III (1337 to 1360) - victory
** War of Charles the Wise (1369 to 1396) - defeat
** War of Henry V (1415 to 1422) - victory
** War of Charles the Victorious (1428 to 1453) - defeat
* [[Wars of the Roses]] (1455–1485) - [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] was the last English king to die in combat - civil war

===Early Modern period===
* [[Italian Wars]] (1494 – 1559)
** [[War of the League of Cambrai]] (1511-1513)
** [[Italian War of 1521]] (1521-1525)
** [[Italian War of 1542]] (1542-1546)
** [[Italian War of 1551]] (1557-1559)
* [[Cornish Rebellion of 1497|Cornish Rebellion]] (1497)
* [[Silken Thomas|Revolt of Silken Thomas]] (1534)
* [[Anglo-Scottish Wars]] (1513; 1544-1551)
* [[Prayer Book Rebellion|Third Cornish Uprising]] (1549)
* [[Calais|Loss of Calais]] (1558) - then England's last continental possession
* [[Desmond Wars]] (1569-1583)
* [[Anglo-Spanish War (1585)|Anglo-Spanish War]] (1585-1604)
* [[Nine Years War (Ireland)|Nine Years War]] (1594–1603)
* [[Eighty Years' War#Overseas assistance|Eighty Years' War]] (1568–1648)
* [[First Anglo-Powhatan War]] (1609–1613) - North America
* [[Second Anglo-Powhatan War]] (1622) - North America
* [[Anglo-Spanish War (1625)|Anglo-Spanish War]] (1625-1630) (As a small part of the Thirty Years' War)
* [[Anglo-French War (1626)|Anglo-French War]] (1626-1629)
* [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]] (1639–1651) - civil war
** [[Bishops Wars#First Bishops.27 War .281639.29|First Bishops' War]] (1639)
** [[Bishops Wars#Second Bishops.27 War .281640.29|Second Bishops' War]] (1640)
** [[Irish Rebellion of 1641|Irish Rebellion]] (1641)
** [[Irish Confederate Wars#The Confederate.E2.80.99s war - 1642-48|The Confederate’s War ]] (1642-1648)
** [[English Civil War]] (1642–1651)
*** [[First English Civil War]] (1642–1646)
*** [[Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms|civil war in Scotland]] (1644–1647)
*** [[Second English Civil War]] (1648)
*** [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland]] (1649-1653)
*** [[Third English Civil War]] (1650–1651)
* [[Third Anglo-Powhatan War]] (1644) - North America
* [[First Anglo-Dutch War]] (1652–1654)
* [[Anglo-Spanish War (1654)|Anglo-Spanish War]] (1654–1660)
* [[Second Anglo-Dutch War]] (1665–1667)
* [[War of Devolution]] (1667–1668)
* [[Third Anglo-Dutch War]] (1672–1674)
* [[King Philip's War]] (1675–1676) - North America
* [[Bacon's Rebellion|Virginia Rebellion]] (1676)
* [[Monmouth Rebellion]] (1685) - civil war
* [[Nine Years War]] (1688–1697) - England, Spain, Germany, Portugal and Holland v France
**[[King William's War]] (1688–1697) - North America
* [[Jacobitism|Jacobite Rebellions]] (1689-91; 1715-16; 1719; 1745-46) - Civil War
** [[Williamite war in Ireland]] (1688–1691)
** [[Battle of the Boyne]] (1690) - last battle between two rival claimants for the throne
** [[Clifton Moor Skirmish]], near Penrith (1745) - last battle on [[England|English]] soil
** [[Battle of Culloden]] (1746) - last battle in [[Great Britain]]
* [[War of the Spanish Succession]] (1702–1713) - England and Scotland/Great Britain, Germany, Portugal and Holland v France and Spain
** [[Queen Anne's War]] (1702–1713)
* [[War of the Quadruple Alliance]] (1718–1720) - Great Britain, France, Austria and Holland v Italy and Spain
* [[War of Jenkins' Ear]] (1739–1742) - Great Britain v Spain
* [[War of the Austrian Succession]] (1742–1748) - Great Britain, Austria and Holland v France and Germany
** [[King George's War]] (1744–1748)
* [[Seven Years' War]] (1756–1763) - the first "world war"
** [[French and Indian War]] (1754–1763) - Great Britain and Germany v Austria, France, Russia, Sweden, Spain and Portugal
** [[Anglo-Cherokee War]] (1759–1763) - North America
* [[Pontiac's Rebellion]] (1763–1766) - North America
* [[First Anglo-Mysore War]] (1766–1769) - India
* [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]] (1775–1783) - North America, civil war
* [[First Anglo-Maratha War]] (1775–1782) - India
* [[Fourth Anglo-Dutch War]] (1780–1784)
* [[Second Anglo-Mysore War]] (1780–1784) - India
* [[Third Anglo-Mysore War]] (1789–1792) - India

===19th Century===
* [[French Revolutionary Wars]] (1793–1802) - Great Britain, Austria, Spain, Russia, Germany v France
** [[French Revolutionary Wars#War of the First Coalition|War of the First Coalition]] (1793–1797)
** [[French Revolutionary Wars#War of the Second Coalition|War of the Second Coalition]] (1798–1801)
* [[Fourth Anglo-Mysore War]] (1798–1799) - India
* [[Irish Rebellion of 1798|Irish Rebellion]] (1798)
* [[Napoleonic Wars]] (1803–1815) - United Kingdom, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, Spain and Russia v France
** [[British invasions of the Río de la Plata]] (1806–1807)
** [[Anglo-Turkish war 1807-1809|Anglo-Turkish War]] (1807–1809)
** [[Anglo-Russian War 1807-1812|Anglo-Russian War]] (1807–1812)
** [[Gunboat War]] (1807–1814)
** [[Peninsular War]] (1808–1814)
** [[Hundred Days]] (1815)
* [[Kandian Wars|First Kandian War]] (1803–1804) - Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
* [[Second Anglo-Maratha War]] (1803–1805) - India
* [[Vellore Mutiny]] (1806) - India
* [[Anglo-Dutch Java War]] (1810–1811)
* [[War of 1812]] (1812–1815)
* [[The Gurkha War|Anglo-Nepalese War]] (1814–1816)
* [[Kandian Wars|Second Kandian War]] (1815) - Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
* [[Third Anglo-Maratha War]] (1817–1818) - India
* [[First Burmese War|First Anglo-Burmese War ]] (1823–1826)
* [[Upper Canada Rebellion]] (1837)
* [[Lower Canada Rebellion]] (1837)
* [[First Anglo-Afghan War]] (1839–1842)
**[[Battle of Ghazni]]
* [[First Opium War]] (1839–1842) - United Kingdom v China
* [[First Anglo-Sikh War]] (1845–1846) - India
* [[New Zealand land wars|New Zealand Wars]] (1845–1872)
* [[Second Anglo-Sikh War]] (1848–1849) - India
* [[Second Burmese War|Second Anglo-Burmese War ]] (1852)
* [[Crimean War]] (1854–1856) - United Kingdom, France, Turkey, and Piedmont-Sardinia v Russia
* [[Second Opium War]] (1856–1860) - United Kingdom and France v China
* [[Anglo-Persian War|Anglo-Persian War (1856–1857)]] - United Kingdom and Persia
* [[Indian rebellion of 1857|Indian Rebellion]] (1857)
* [[Pig War]] (1859) - United Kingdom v USA
* [[Anglo-Bhutanese War]] (1865)
* [[European influence in Afghanistan#The Second Anglo-Afghan War|Second Anglo-Afghan War]] (1878-1880)
* [[Anglo-Zulu War]] (1879)
* [[First Boer War]] (1880–1881)
* [[Gun War]] (1880–1881)
* [[Mahdist War]] (1881–1899)
* [[Third Burmese War|Third Anglo-Burmese War]] (1885–1887)
* [[Anglo-Zanzibar War]] (1896)
* [[Second Boer War]] (1899–1902)

===20th Century===
* [[Boxer Rebellion]] (1900) - United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, USA v China
* [[Anglo-Aro war]] (1901-1902) - Nigeria
* [[World War I]] (1914–1918) - United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Serbia, Italy, Russia, United States v Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey
* [[Easter Rising]] (1916) - Ireland
* [[Russian Civil War]] (1918–1922)
* [[European influence in Afghanistan#Third Anglo-Afghan War and Independence|Third Anglo-Afghan War]] (1919)
* [[Irish War of Independence]] (1919–1921)
* [[World War II]] (1939–1945)
** [[Pacific War|The Pacific War]] (1937–1945) United Kingdom, USA and China v Japan
** [[Anglo-Iraqi War]] (1941)
* [[Greek Civil War]] (1941–1949)
* [[Malayan Emergency]] (1948–1960)
* [[Korean War]] (1950–1953)
* [[Mau Mau Uprising]] (1952–1960)
* [[Modern history of Cyprus#Proposed Union with Greece|Cyprus Emergency]] (1955–1959)
* [[Suez Crisis]] (1956)
* [[Brunei Revolt]] (1962)
* [[Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation]] (1962–1966)
* [[Troubles|Northern Ireland Troubles]] (1969-2007)
* [[Cod War|Cod War Confrontation]] (1975–1976)
* [[Falklands War]] (1982)
* [[Gulf War|The First Gulf War]] (1990–1991)
* [[Bosnian War|The Bosnian War]] (1995–1996)
* [[Kosovo War|The Kosovo War]] (1999)
* [[Iraqi no-fly zones]] (1991-2003)
* [[Operation Palliser|Sierra Leone Civil War]] (2000)

===21st century===
* [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|The Afghanistan War]] (2001–Present)
* [[Iraq War]] and [[Iraqi insurgency]] (2003–Present)

===List of Civil Wars===
# [[Rebellion of 1088]] - in [[England]] and [[Normandy]]
# [[The Anarchy]] (1135–1154) - in [[England]]
# [[Revolt of 1173-1174]] - in [[England]], [[Normandy]], and [[Anjou]]
# [[First Barons' War]] (1215–1217) - in [[England]]
# [[Second Barons' War]] (1264–1267) - in [[England]]
# [[Welsh Uprising (1282)|Welsh Uprising]] (1282) - in [[England]] and [[Wales]]
# [[Wars of the Roses]] (1455–1485) - in [[England]] and [[Wales]]; [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] was the last English king to die in combat
# [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]] (1639–1651) - in [[England]], [[Wales]], [[Scotland]] and [[Ireland]]
#* [[Bishops Wars#First Bishops.27 War .281639.29|First Bishops' War]] (1639)
#* [[Bishops Wars#Second Bishops.27 War .281640.29|Second Bishops' War]] (1640)
#* [[Irish Rebellion of 1641|Irish Rebellion]] (1641-42)
#* [[First English Civil War]] (1642–1646)
#* [[Irish Confederate Wars#The Confederate.E2.80.99s war - 1642-48|The Confederate’s War ]] (1642-1648)
#* [[Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms]] (1644–1647)
#* [[Second English Civil War]] (1648)
#* [[Third English Civil War]] (1650–1651)
#* [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland]] (1649)
# [[Monmouth Rebellion]] (1685) - in [[England]]
# [[Jacobitism|Jacobite Rebellions]] (1689-91; 1715-16; 1719; 1745-46) - in [[England]], [[Scotland]] and [[Ireland]]
#* [[Williamite war in Ireland]] (1688–1691)
#* [[Battle of the Boyne]] (1690) - last battle between two rival claimants for the throne
#* [[Clifton Moor]], near Penrith (1745) - last land battle on [[England|English]] soil
#* [[Battle of Culloden]] (1746) - last land battle in [[Great Britain]]
# [[American Revolutionary War]] (1775–1783) - Effectively Civil War with Loyalists fighting Revolutionaries

==List of fortifications in the British Isles==
===Roman & ancient===
* [[Black Pig's Dyke]] AD 0–100
* [[Hadrian's Wall]] AD 122
* [[Antonine Wall]] AD 142

===Mediæval===
* Castles in the UK
** [[Castles in England]]
** [[Castles in Northern Ireland]]
** [[Castles in Scotland]]
** [[Castles in Wales]]
** [[Castles in Britain]]

===1600s===
*[[Royal Citadel, Plymouth|The Royal Citadel]]
*[[Charlemont Fort]] in Ulster

===Georgian & Victorian===
*[[Fort Bovisand]]
*[[Crownhill Fort]]
*[[Martello tower]]s
*[[Picklecombe Fort]]
*[[Fort George, Highland|Fort George]]
* [[Eastbourne Redoubt]]

===World War II Stop Lines===
* [[Avon Stop Line]]
* [[Colchester Stop Line]]
* [[Coquet Stop Line]]
* [[GHQ Line]]
* [[Outer London Defence Ring]]
* [[Ringwood West Line]]
* [[Salisbury West Stop Line]]
* [[Taunton Stop Line]]

==List of British military institutions==
{{main|British Armed Forces}}

* [[Royal Navy]]
** [[Royal Marines]]
** [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]
* [[British Army]]
** [[New Model Army]] (1645)
** [[Territorial Army]] (1907)
** [[Kitchener's Army]] (1914)
** [[Auxiliary Units]] (1940s)
** [[British Home Guard|Home Guard]] (1940s)
* [[Royal Air Force]]
** [[Royal Auxiliary Air Force]] (1924)
** [[Royal Observer Corps]] (1925 - 1995)
* [[Royal Ordnance Factory]]

* [[National Service]] (1949 - 1960)
** [[Joint Services School for Linguists]]

==List of British military alliances==
===Scottish military alliances===
*[[Auld Alliance]] (1295-1560)

The Auld Alliance refers to a treaty of mutual defence concluded between [[France]] and [[Scotland]] in October 1295. It was renewed in 1326 in the [[Treaty of Corbeil]] and at several points thereafter. It provides for assistance if either of the parties to the treaty is attacked by a third nation. Though no third party nation is named, the treaty was most often invoked against [[England]]. In the early 1330s the [[French king]] [[Philip VI of France|Philip VI]] offered active military support to his ally during the [[Second War of Scottish Independence]], amongst other things providing a refuge for the infant [[David II]]. In 1346 David, who had returned home in 1341, invaded England to take the pressure off the French, recently defeated at the [[Battle of Crécy]], only to be defeated himself at the [[Battle of Neville's Cross]]. In 1421, at the [[Battle of Baugé]], French and Scots forces defeated an English army, their first such reverse in open battle during the [[Hundred Years War]]. In 1429 Scots came to the aid of [[Joan of Arc]] in the relief of [[Orléans]]; many went on to form the [[Garde Écossaise]], the bodyguard of the French monarchy. Many Scottish soldiers chose to settle in France, although they continued to consider themselves Scots. In 1513 [[Louis XII]], under threat from [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]], asked [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]] to launch a diversionary attack on northern England. James complied, only to meet defeat and death at the [[Battle of Flodden]]. The alliance was finally ended by the 1560 [[Treaty of Edinburgh]]. By this time the Scots saw the Catholic French as a greater threat to their liberty than their fellow Protestants in England.

===English military alliances===
* [[Anglo-Portuguese alliance]] (1386-)

The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance between England (succeeded by the United Kingdom) and Portugal, signed in 1373, is the oldest alliance in the world which is still in force. Many times in history, this alliance has served England (and later Britain). This treaty largely influenced the British involvement in the [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberian]] [[Peninsular War]]. The last time that this treaty affected British history was during the 1982 Falklands War, when the facilities of the [[Azores]] were again offered to the British Royal Navy.

* [[Catholic League (Italian)|Holy League]] (1510 to 1513)

The War of the League of Cambrai (1508–16), sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and by several other names, was a major conflict in the Italian Wars. The Kingdom of England participated in the alliance of the Holy League against France (1511–13). The Kingdom Scotland briefly took part in the war as an ally of France.

* [[Triple Alliance (1668)|Triple Alliance]] (1668)

The Triple Alliance of 1668 consisted of England, Sweden, and the Republic of the United Provinces (the Netherlands). It was formed to halt the expansion of Louis XIV's France in the War of Devolution.

* [[Grand Alliance]] (1689 - 1697)
The Grand Alliance (known, prior to 1689, as the League of Augsburg) was a European coalition, consisting (at various times) of Austria, Bavaria, Brandenburg, England, the Holy Roman Empire, the Republic of the United Provinces (the Netherlands), the Palatinate of the Rhine, Portugal, Saxony, Spain and Sweden. The league was named the 'Grand Alliance' after England had joined it. The primary reason for the League's creation was to defend the Palatinate from France. This organization fought the War of the Grand Alliance against France from 1688 to 1697.

===British military alliances===
* [[Triple Alliance (1717)]]
The Triple Alliance was an agreement between United Kingdom, France and the Republic of the United Provinces (the Netherlands), against Spain.
* [[Triple Alliance (1788)]]
The Triple Alliance of 1788 was an alliance between Great Britain, Prussia and the [[Republic of the United Provinces]] (the Netherlands) against France.
* [[Anglo-Japanese Alliance]] (1902-1923)
The Anglo-Japanese Alliance was signed in London on 30 January 1902 by [[Lord Lansdowne]] (British Foreign Secretary) and [[Hayashi Tadasu]] (Japanese minister in London). The alliance was renewed and extended twice, in 1905 and 1911 before its demise in 1921. It officially terminated on 17 August 1923. This alliance helped the British contain Russia and helped the United Kingdom's navy by providing coaling stations and repair facilities.
* [[Entente Cordiale]] (1904-)
The Entente Cordiale (French for "friendly understanding") is a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904, between the United Kingdom and France. It resolved differences concerning influence and control in various countries including Egypt, [[Morocco]], [[Madagascar]], [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], Siam ([[Thailand]]), West and [[Central Africa]]. The agreement also acknowledged the right of free passage through the Suez Canal. The year after its signing, the UK's sympathetic attitude toward France's position in Morocco helped to ward off a challenge from Germany to the status quo in the [[North African]] kingdom (the [[Tangier Crisis]]). The agreement also paved the way for the diplomatic and military cooperation that preceded World War I.
* [[Triple Entente]] (1908)
The Triple Entente was the alliance formed in 1907 between the United Kingdom, France and Russia after the signing of the [[Anglo-Russian Entente]]. France and the UK had already signed the Entente Cordiale in 1904, and France had signed the [[Franco-Russian Alliance]] in 1894.
* [[NATO]] (1949-)
* [[Western European Union]] (1954-)
* [[Five Power Defence Arrangement]] (1971-)

==See also==
* [[Pax Britannica]]
* [[History of British Isles]]
* [[History of the United Kingdom]]
* [[United Kingdom and weapons of mass destruction]]
* [[History of the British Army]]
* [[History of the Royal Navy]]
* [[List of battles (geographic)]]
* [[List of wars]]
* [[British military rank insignia]]
* [[United Kingdom casualties of war]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
*[http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_history.htm Royal Engineers Museum] - Royal Engineers History
*[http://www.iwm.org.uk/ Imperial War Museum]
*[http://dl.lib.brown.edu/libweb/collections/askb/ Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection, Brown University Library]

{{Military history of Europe}}

[[Category:Military history of the United Kingdom| ]]
[[Category:Military history of Ireland| ]]

Military history of the peoples of the British Islands

2009-01-09T17:57:22Z

81.152.86.9: /* 20th Century */

{{Refimprove|date=May 2007}}
{{Cleanup|date=July 2007}}
{{UKHBS}}
{{Portal|British Army|Flag of the British Army.svg|65}}
'''The military history of the peoples of the British Isles''' is long and varied, extending from the [[prehistoric]] and ancient historic period, through the [[Roman invasion of Britain|Roman invasions]] of [[Julius Caesar]] and [[Claudius]], with the subsequent [[Roman Britain|Roman occupation]] of most of the island; [[war]]fare in the [[Great Britain in the Middle Ages|Middle Ages]], including the invasions of the [[Saxon people|Saxons]] and the [[Viking]]s in the [[Early Middle Ages]], the [[Norman Conquest]] of England, [[Wars of Scottish Independence|wars between Scotland and England]] and between England and [[France]]; through the [[Early Modern Britain|early modern period]], wars against [[Spain]] and [[France]], and the [[English Civil War]], and the beginnings of the colonial [[British Empire]] in [[British Raj|India]] and [[British colonization of the Americas|North America]]; and into the modern period with the [[Napoleonic Wars]] and the [[Crimean War]] and into the 20th century with the [[Second Boer War|Boer War]], [[World War I]] and [[World War II]], the [[Cold War]] the [[Korean War]]; and, most recently, [[Northern Ireland]], the [[Falklands War]] and military operations in the [[Balkans]] and the [[Middle East]].

==List of military encounters==
===Prehistoric and Classical period===
* [[Celtic conquest of Britain]]
* [[Roman conquest of Britain]] (43)
* [[Boudica#Boudica.27s uprising|Boudica's uprising]] (61)
** [[Battle of Watling Street]]

===Mediæval period===
* [[Battle of Aylesford]] (455) Anglo-Saxons, Romano-Britons
* [[Battle of Ellandun]]
* [[Viking Britain|Viking invasions]] (793–1066)
** Raid on [[Lindisfarne]] (793)
** [[Alfred the Great#Public life|Campaign of Alfred the Great]] (871–899)
*** [[Battle of Edington]] (878)
** [[Battle of Cannington]] (878)
** [[Battle of Ashingdon]] (1016)
** [[Battle of Fulford]] (1066)
** [[Battle of Stamford Bridge]] (1066)
* [[Norman Conquest of England]] (1066)
** [[The Battle of Hastings]] 1066
* [[Rebellion of 1088]] - civil war
* [[The Anarchy]] (1135–1154) - civil war
* [[Battle of Renfrew]] (1164)
* [[Revolt of 1173-1174]] - civil war
* [[Third Crusade]] (1189-1192)
* Richard I's war in France
* [[Welsh uprising of 1211]]
* [[Battle of Bouvines]] (1214) - loss of Normandy
* [[First Barons' War]] (1215–1217) - civil war
* Henry III's war in France
* [[Battle of Largs]]
* [[Second Barons' War]] (1264–1267) - civil war
* [[Welsh Uprising (1282)|Welsh Uprising]] (1282) - civil war
* Edward I's war in France
* [[First War of Scottish Independence|The First War of Scottish Independence]] (1296–1328)
** [[Battle of Dunbar]] (1296)
** [[Battle of Stirling Bridge]] (1297)
** [[Battle of Roslin]] (1303)
** [[Battle of Methven]] (1306)
** [[Battle of Bannockburn]] (1314)
* Edward II's war in France
* [[Second War of Scottish Independence|The Second War of Scottish Independence]] (1332–1357)
* [[Hundred Years' War]] (1337 to 1453) against France
** War of Edward III (1337 to 1360) - victory
** War of Charles the Wise (1369 to 1396) - defeat
** War of Henry V (1415 to 1422) - victory
** War of Charles the Victorious (1428 to 1453) - defeat
* [[Wars of the Roses]] (1455–1485) - [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] was the last English king to die in combat - civil war

===Early Modern period===
* [[Italian Wars]] (1494 – 1559)
** [[War of the League of Cambrai]] (1511-1513)
** [[Italian War of 1521]] (1521-1525)
** [[Italian War of 1542]] (1542-1546)
** [[Italian War of 1551]] (1557-1559)
* [[Cornish Rebellion of 1497|Cornish Rebellion]] (1497)
* [[Silken Thomas|Revolt of Silken Thomas]] (1534)
* [[Anglo-Scottish Wars]] (1513; 1544-1551)
* [[Prayer Book Rebellion|Third Cornish Uprising]] (1549)
* [[Calais|Loss of Calais]] (1558) - then England's last continental possession
* [[Desmond Wars]] (1569-1583)
* [[Anglo-Spanish War (1585)|Anglo-Spanish War]] (1585-1604)
* [[Nine Years War (Ireland)|Nine Years War]] (1594–1603)
* [[Eighty Years' War#Overseas assistance|Eighty Years' War]] (1568–1648)
* [[First Anglo-Powhatan War]] (1609–1613) - North America
* [[Second Anglo-Powhatan War]] (1622) - North America
* [[Anglo-Spanish War (1625)|Anglo-Spanish War]] (1625-1630) (As a small part of the Thirty Years' War)
* [[Anglo-French War (1626)|Anglo-French War]] (1626-1629)
* [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]] (1639–1651) - civil war
** [[Bishops Wars#First Bishops.27 War .281639.29|First Bishops' War]] (1639)
** [[Bishops Wars#Second Bishops.27 War .281640.29|Second Bishops' War]] (1640)
** [[Irish Rebellion of 1641|Irish Rebellion]] (1641)
** [[Irish Confederate Wars#The Confederate.E2.80.99s war - 1642-48|The Confederate’s War ]] (1642-1648)
** [[English Civil War]] (1642–1651)
*** [[First English Civil War]] (1642–1646)
*** [[Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms|civil war in Scotland]] (1644–1647)
*** [[Second English Civil War]] (1648)
*** [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland]] (1649-1653)
*** [[Third English Civil War]] (1650–1651)
* [[Third Anglo-Powhatan War]] (1644) - North America
* [[First Anglo-Dutch War]] (1652–1654)
* [[Anglo-Spanish War (1654)|Anglo-Spanish War]] (1654–1660)
* [[Second Anglo-Dutch War]] (1665–1667)
* [[War of Devolution]] (1667–1668)
* [[Third Anglo-Dutch War]] (1672–1674)
* [[King Philip's War]] (1675–1676) - North America
* [[Bacon's Rebellion|Virginia Rebellion]] (1676)
* [[Monmouth Rebellion]] (1685) - civil war
* [[Nine Years War]] (1688–1697) - England, Spain, Germany, Portugal and Holland v France
**[[King William's War]] (1688–1697) - North America
* [[Jacobitism|Jacobite Rebellions]] (1689-91; 1715-16; 1719; 1745-46) - Civil War
** [[Williamite war in Ireland]] (1688–1691)
** [[Battle of the Boyne]] (1690) - last battle between two rival claimants for the throne
** [[Clifton Moor Skirmish]], near Penrith (1745) - last battle on [[England|English]] soil
** [[Battle of Culloden]] (1746) - last battle in [[Great Britain]]
* [[War of the Spanish Succession]] (1702–1713) - England and Scotland/Great Britain, Germany, Portugal and Holland v France and Spain
** [[Queen Anne's War]] (1702–1713)
* [[War of the Quadruple Alliance]] (1718–1720) - Great Britain, France, Austria and Holland v Italy and Spain
* [[War of Jenkins' Ear]] (1739–1742) - Great Britain v Spain
* [[War of the Austrian Succession]] (1742–1748) - Great Britain, Austria and Holland v France and Germany
** [[King George's War]] (1744–1748)
* [[Seven Years' War]] (1756–1763) - the first "world war"
** [[French and Indian War]] (1754–1763) - Great Britain and Germany v Austria, France, Russia, Sweden, Spain and Portugal
** [[Anglo-Cherokee War]] (1759–1763) - North America
* [[Pontiac's Rebellion]] (1763–1766) - North America
* [[First Anglo-Mysore War]] (1766–1769) - India
* [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]] (1775–1783) - North America, civil war
* [[First Anglo-Maratha War]] (1775–1782) - India
* [[Fourth Anglo-Dutch War]] (1780–1784)
* [[Second Anglo-Mysore War]] (1780–1784) - India
* [[Third Anglo-Mysore War]] (1789–1792) - India

===19th Century===
* [[French Revolutionary Wars]] (1793–1802) - Great Britain, Austria, Spain, Russia, Germany v France
** [[French Revolutionary Wars#War of the First Coalition|War of the First Coalition]] (1793–1797)
** [[French Revolutionary Wars#War of the Second Coalition|War of the Second Coalition]] (1798–1801)
* [[Fourth Anglo-Mysore War]] (1798–1799) - India
* [[Irish Rebellion of 1798|Irish Rebellion]] (1798)
* [[Napoleonic Wars]] (1803–1815) - United Kingdom, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, Spain and Russia v France
** [[British invasions of the Río de la Plata]] (1806–1807)
** [[Anglo-Turkish war 1807-1809|Anglo-Turkish War]] (1807–1809)
** [[Anglo-Russian War 1807-1812|Anglo-Russian War]] (1807–1812)
** [[Gunboat War]] (1807–1814)
** [[Peninsular War]] (1808–1814)
** [[Hundred Days]] (1815)
* [[Kandian Wars|First Kandian War]] (1803–1804) - Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
* [[Second Anglo-Maratha War]] (1803–1805) - India
* [[Vellore Mutiny]] (1806) - India
* [[Anglo-Dutch Java War]] (1810–1811)
* [[War of 1812]] (1812–1815)
* [[The Gurkha War|Anglo-Nepalese War]] (1814–1816)
* [[Kandian Wars|Second Kandian War]] (1815) - Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
* [[Third Anglo-Maratha War]] (1817–1818) - India
* [[First Burmese War|First Anglo-Burmese War ]] (1823–1826)
* [[Upper Canada Rebellion]] (1837)
* [[Lower Canada Rebellion]] (1837)
* [[First Anglo-Afghan War]] (1839–1842)
**[[Battle of Ghazni]]
* [[First Opium War]] (1839–1842) - United Kingdom v China
* [[First Anglo-Sikh War]] (1845–1846) - India
* [[New Zealand land wars|New Zealand Wars]] (1845–1872)
* [[Second Anglo-Sikh War]] (1848–1849) - India
* [[Second Burmese War|Second Anglo-Burmese War ]] (1852)
* [[Crimean War]] (1854–1856) - United Kingdom, France, Turkey, and Piedmont-Sardinia v Russia
* [[Second Opium War]] (1856–1860) - United Kingdom and France v China
* [[Anglo-Persian War|Anglo-Persian War (1856–1857)]] - United Kingdom and Persia
* [[Indian rebellion of 1857|Indian Rebellion]] (1857)
* [[Pig War]] (1859) - United Kingdom v USA
* [[Anglo-Bhutanese War]] (1865)
* [[European influence in Afghanistan#The Second Anglo-Afghan War|Second Anglo-Afghan War]] (1878-1880)
* [[Anglo-Zulu War]] (1879)
* [[First Boer War]] (1880–1881)
* [[Gun War]] (1880–1881)
* [[Mahdist War]] (1881–1899)
* [[Third Burmese War|Third Anglo-Burmese War]] (1885–1887)
* [[Anglo-Zanzibar War]] (1896)
* [[Second Boer War]] (1899–1902)

===20th Century===
* [[Boxer Rebellion]] (1900) - United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, USA v China
* [[Anglo-Aro war]] (1901-1902) - Nigeria
* [[World War I]] (1914–1918) - United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Serbia, Italy, Russia, United States v Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey
* [[Easter Rising]] (1916) - Ireland
* [[Russian Civil War]] (1918–1922)
* [[European influence in Afghanistan#Third Anglo-Afghan War and Independence|Third Anglo-Afghan War]] (1919)
* [[Irish War of Independence]] (1919–1921)
* [[World War II]] (1939–1945)
** [[Pacific War|The Pacific War]] (1937–1945) United Kingdom, USA and China v Japan
** [[Anglo-Iraqi War]] (1941)
* [[Greek Civil War]] (1941–1949)
* [[Malayan Emergency]] (1948–1960)
* [[Korean War]] (1950–1953)
* [[Mau Mau Uprising]] (1952–1960)
* [[Modern history of Cyprus#Proposed Union with Greece|Cyprus Emergency]] (1955–1959)
* [[Suez Crisis]] (1956)
* [[Brunei Revolt]] (1962)
* [[Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation]] (1962–1966)
* [[Troubles|Northern Ireland Troubles]] (1969-2007)
* [[Cod War|Cod War Confrontation]] (1975–1976)
* [[Falklands War]] (1982)
* [[Gulf War|The First Gulf War]] (1990–1991)
* [[Bosnian War|The Bosnian War]] (1995–1996)
* [[Kosovo War|The Kosovo War]] (1999)
* [[Operation Palliser|Sierra Leone Civil War]] (2000)

===21st century===
* [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|The Afghanistan War]] (2001–Present)
* [[Iraq War]] and [[Iraqi insurgency]] (2003–Present)

===List of Civil Wars===
# [[Rebellion of 1088]] - in [[England]] and [[Normandy]]
# [[The Anarchy]] (1135–1154) - in [[England]]
# [[Revolt of 1173-1174]] - in [[England]], [[Normandy]], and [[Anjou]]
# [[First Barons' War]] (1215–1217) - in [[England]]
# [[Second Barons' War]] (1264–1267) - in [[England]]
# [[Welsh Uprising (1282)|Welsh Uprising]] (1282) - in [[England]] and [[Wales]]
# [[Wars of the Roses]] (1455–1485) - in [[England]] and [[Wales]]; [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] was the last English king to die in combat
# [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]] (1639–1651) - in [[England]], [[Wales]], [[Scotland]] and [[Ireland]]
#* [[Bishops Wars#First Bishops.27 War .281639.29|First Bishops' War]] (1639)
#* [[Bishops Wars#Second Bishops.27 War .281640.29|Second Bishops' War]] (1640)
#* [[Irish Rebellion of 1641|Irish Rebellion]] (1641-42)
#* [[First English Civil War]] (1642–1646)
#* [[Irish Confederate Wars#The Confederate.E2.80.99s war - 1642-48|The Confederate’s War ]] (1642-1648)
#* [[Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms]] (1644–1647)
#* [[Second English Civil War]] (1648)
#* [[Third English Civil War]] (1650–1651)
#* [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland]] (1649)
# [[Monmouth Rebellion]] (1685) - in [[England]]
# [[Jacobitism|Jacobite Rebellions]] (1689-91; 1715-16; 1719; 1745-46) - in [[England]], [[Scotland]] and [[Ireland]]
#* [[Williamite war in Ireland]] (1688–1691)
#* [[Battle of the Boyne]] (1690) - last battle between two rival claimants for the throne
#* [[Clifton Moor]], near Penrith (1745) - last land battle on [[England|English]] soil
#* [[Battle of Culloden]] (1746) - last land battle in [[Great Britain]]
# [[American Revolutionary War]] (1775–1783) - Effectively Civil War with Loyalists fighting Revolutionaries

==List of fortifications in the British Isles==
===Roman & ancient===
* [[Black Pig's Dyke]] AD 0–100
* [[Hadrian's Wall]] AD 122
* [[Antonine Wall]] AD 142

===Mediæval===
* Castles in the UK
** [[Castles in England]]
** [[Castles in Northern Ireland]]
** [[Castles in Scotland]]
** [[Castles in Wales]]
** [[Castles in Britain]]

===1600s===
*[[Royal Citadel, Plymouth|The Royal Citadel]]
*[[Charlemont Fort]] in Ulster

===Georgian & Victorian===
*[[Fort Bovisand]]
*[[Crownhill Fort]]
*[[Martello tower]]s
*[[Picklecombe Fort]]
*[[Fort George, Highland|Fort George]]
* [[Eastbourne Redoubt]]

===World War II Stop Lines===
* [[Avon Stop Line]]
* [[Colchester Stop Line]]
* [[Coquet Stop Line]]
* [[GHQ Line]]
* [[Outer London Defence Ring]]
* [[Ringwood West Line]]
* [[Salisbury West Stop Line]]
* [[Taunton Stop Line]]

==List of British military institutions==
{{main|British Armed Forces}}

* [[Royal Navy]]
** [[Royal Marines]]
** [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary]]
* [[British Army]]
** [[New Model Army]] (1645)
** [[Territorial Army]] (1907)
** [[Kitchener's Army]] (1914)
** [[Auxiliary Units]] (1940s)
** [[British Home Guard|Home Guard]] (1940s)
* [[Royal Air Force]]
** [[Royal Auxiliary Air Force]] (1924)
** [[Royal Observer Corps]] (1925 - 1995)
* [[Royal Ordnance Factory]]

* [[National Service]] (1949 - 1960)
** [[Joint Services School for Linguists]]

==List of British military alliances==
===Scottish military alliances===
*[[Auld Alliance]] (1295-1560)

The Auld Alliance refers to a treaty of mutual defence concluded between [[France]] and [[Scotland]] in October 1295. It was renewed in 1326 in the [[Treaty of Corbeil]] and at several points thereafter. It provides for assistance if either of the parties to the treaty is attacked by a third nation. Though no third party nation is named, the treaty was most often invoked against [[England]]. In the early 1330s the [[French king]] [[Philip VI of France|Philip VI]] offered active military support to his ally during the [[Second War of Scottish Independence]], amongst other things providing a refuge for the infant [[David II]]. In 1346 David, who had returned home in 1341, invaded England to take the pressure off the French, recently defeated at the [[Battle of Crécy]], only to be defeated himself at the [[Battle of Neville's Cross]]. In 1421, at the [[Battle of Baugé]], French and Scots forces defeated an English army, their first such reverse in open battle during the [[Hundred Years War]]. In 1429 Scots came to the aid of [[Joan of Arc]] in the relief of [[Orléans]]; many went on to form the [[Garde Écossaise]], the bodyguard of the French monarchy. Many Scottish soldiers chose to settle in France, although they continued to consider themselves Scots. In 1513 [[Louis XII]], under threat from [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]], asked [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]] to launch a diversionary attack on northern England. James complied, only to meet defeat and death at the [[Battle of Flodden]]. The alliance was finally ended by the 1560 [[Treaty of Edinburgh]]. By this time the Scots saw the Catholic French as a greater threat to their liberty than their fellow Protestants in England.

===English military alliances===
* [[Anglo-Portuguese alliance]] (1386-)

The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance between England (succeeded by the United Kingdom) and Portugal, signed in 1373, is the oldest alliance in the world which is still in force. Many times in history, this alliance has served England (and later Britain). This treaty largely influenced the British involvement in the [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberian]] [[Peninsular War]]. The last time that this treaty affected British history was during the 1982 Falklands War, when the facilities of the [[Azores]] were again offered to the British Royal Navy.

* [[Catholic League (Italian)|Holy League]] (1510 to 1513)

The War of the League of Cambrai (1508–16), sometimes known as the War of the Holy League and by several other names, was a major conflict in the Italian Wars. The Kingdom of England participated in the alliance of the Holy League against France (1511–13). The Kingdom Scotland briefly took part in the war as an ally of France.

* [[Triple Alliance (1668)|Triple Alliance]] (1668)

The Triple Alliance of 1668 consisted of England, Sweden, and the Republic of the United Provinces (the Netherlands). It was formed to halt the expansion of Louis XIV's France in the War of Devolution.

* [[Grand Alliance]] (1689 - 1697)
The Grand Alliance (known, prior to 1689, as the League of Augsburg) was a European coalition, consisting (at various times) of Austria, Bavaria, Brandenburg, England, the Holy Roman Empire, the Republic of the United Provinces (the Netherlands), the Palatinate of the Rhine, Portugal, Saxony, Spain and Sweden. The league was named the 'Grand Alliance' after England had joined it. The primary reason for the League's creation was to defend the Palatinate from France. This organization fought the War of the Grand Alliance against France from 1688 to 1697.

===British military alliances===
* [[Triple Alliance (1717)]]
The Triple Alliance was an agreement between United Kingdom, France and the Republic of the United Provinces (the Netherlands), against Spain.
* [[Triple Alliance (1788)]]
The Triple Alliance of 1788 was an alliance between Great Britain, Prussia and the [[Republic of the United Provinces]] (the Netherlands) against France.
* [[Anglo-Japanese Alliance]] (1902-1923)
The Anglo-Japanese Alliance was signed in London on 30 January 1902 by [[Lord Lansdowne]] (British Foreign Secretary) and [[Hayashi Tadasu]] (Japanese minister in London). The alliance was renewed and extended twice, in 1905 and 1911 before its demise in 1921. It officially terminated on 17 August 1923. This alliance helped the British contain Russia and helped the United Kingdom's navy by providing coaling stations and repair facilities.
* [[Entente Cordiale]] (1904-)
The Entente Cordiale (French for "friendly understanding") is a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904, between the United Kingdom and France. It resolved differences concerning influence and control in various countries including Egypt, [[Morocco]], [[Madagascar]], [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], Siam ([[Thailand]]), West and [[Central Africa]]. The agreement also acknowledged the right of free passage through the Suez Canal. The year after its signing, the UK's sympathetic attitude toward France's position in Morocco helped to ward off a challenge from Germany to the status quo in the [[North African]] kingdom (the [[Tangier Crisis]]). The agreement also paved the way for the diplomatic and military cooperation that preceded World War I.
* [[Triple Entente]] (1908)
The Triple Entente was the alliance formed in 1907 between the United Kingdom, France and Russia after the signing of the [[Anglo-Russian Entente]]. France and the UK had already signed the Entente Cordiale in 1904, and France had signed the [[Franco-Russian Alliance]] in 1894.
* [[NATO]] (1949-)
* [[Western European Union]] (1954-)
* [[Five Power Defence Arrangement]] (1971-)

==See also==
* [[Pax Britannica]]
* [[History of British Isles]]
* [[History of the United Kingdom]]
* [[United Kingdom and weapons of mass destruction]]
* [[History of the British Army]]
* [[History of the Royal Navy]]
* [[List of battles (geographic)]]
* [[List of wars]]
* [[British military rank insignia]]
* [[United Kingdom casualties of war]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
*[http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_history.htm Royal Engineers Museum] - Royal Engineers History
*[http://www.iwm.org.uk/ Imperial War Museum]
*[http://dl.lib.brown.edu/libweb/collections/askb/ Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection, Brown University Library]

{{Military history of Europe}}

[[Category:Military history of the United Kingdom| ]]
[[Category:Military history of Ireland| ]]

Spanish/School

2008-11-04T18:21:24Z

81.152.86.24: /* Cultural Insight (Schoolife in Spanish-speaking countries) */

==Chapter 4 (School)==
===Schedule===
*'''almuerzo''' - lunch
*'''clase''' - class
*'''clase de...''' - ...class
*'''matemáticas''' - math (mathematics)
*'''ciencias sociales''' - social studies
*'''banda''' - band
*'''educación física''' - PE (physical education)
*'''inglés''' - English
*'''arte''' - art
*'''tecnología''' - computers (technology)
*'''drama''' - drama
*'''ciencias naturales''' - science
*'''español''' - Spanish
*'''historia''' - history
*'''álgebra''' - algebra
*'''horario''' - schedule
*'''en la...hora''' - in the...hour (class period)
*'''tarea''' - homework

===School verbs===
*'''enseñar''' - to teach
*'''estudiar''' - to study
*'''hablar''' - to talk

===Words to talk about order===
*'''primero(a)''' - first
*'''segundo(a)''' - second
*'''tercero(a)''' - third
*'''cuarto(a)''' - fourth
*'''quinto(a)''' - fifth
*'''sexto(a)''' - sixth
*'''séptimo(a)''' - seventh
*'''octavo(a)''' - eighth
*'''noveno(a)''' - ninth
*'''décimo(a)''' - tenth

===School supplies===
*'''calculadora''' - calculator
*'''carpeta de argollas''' - three-ring binder
*'''diccionario''' - dictionary
*'''necesito''' - I need
*'''necesitas''' - you need

===Words to describe classes===
*'''aburrido(a)''' - boring
*'''difícil''' - difficult
*'''divertido(a)''' - amusing
*'''fácil''' - easy
*'''favorito(a)''' - favorite
*'''interesante''' - interesting
*'''práctico(a)''' - practical
*'''más...que''' - more...than

===Other words===
*'''a ver...''' - Let's see
*'''¿Quién?''' - Who?
*'''para''' - for
*'''mucho''' - a lot, much
*'''tengo''' - I have
*'''tienes''' - you have

===Pronouns===
Pronouns are essential to the Spanish language and mastering them will be very useful in the language. In Spanish, there are 6 types of pronouns.

*'''yo''' - I
*'''tú''' - you (familiar)
*'''usted (Ud.)''' - you (formal)
*'''él''' - he
*'''ella''' - she
*'''nosotros''' - we (masculine)
*'''nosotras''' - we (feminine)
*'''vosotros''' - you (plural, familiar, masculine)
*'''vosotras''' - you (plural, familiar, feminine)
*'''ustedes (Uds.)''' - you (plural, formal)
*'''ellos''' - they (masculine)
*'''ellas''' - they (feminine)

The 6 types of pronouns in Spanish are:

1st person singular: yo

2nd person singular: tú, usted (Ud.)

3rd person singular: él, ella

1st person plural: nosotros, nosotras

2nd person plural: vosotros, vosotras, ustedes (Uds.)

3rd person plural: ellos, ellas

====Notes====
- The masculine form of the plural pronouns is always used if there is a masculine object, for example, even they're 100 females and only 1 male, ''ellos'' is used when talking about the crowd.

- ''Vosotros'' and ''Vosotras'', the English equivalent of "y'all" are mainly used in Spain, but they are also used in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay at a lesser extant and rarely in the United States. For the rest of the Spanish-speaking world, use ''Ustedes (Uds.)'', which is the formal way of saying you (plural) in all Spanish-speaking countries.

===Conjugating -ar verbs===
The majority of verbs in Spanish end in ''-ar'', such as ''bailar'', ''cantar'', and ''hablar''. Conjugating verbs replaces the ''to'' part of the word and adds the pronouns in.

Below is the list of endings for conjugating -ar verbs.

-yo: -o

-tú: -as

-usted (Ud.), él, ella: -a

-nosotros, nosotras: -amos

-vosotros, vosotras: -áis

-ustedes (Uds.), ellos, ellas: - an

Note: Usted and ustedes use the 3rd person form of conjugation.

An example of conjugating -ar verbs, using ''hablar'':
*'''hablo''' - I talk
*'''hablas''' - you talk (singular)
*'''habla''' - he/she talks
*'''hablamos''' - we talk
*'''habláis''' - you talk (plural)
*'''hablan''' - they talk

Remember that when talking to a person you don't know well or a respected person, use the usted (Ud.) form and ustedes (Uds.) form when talking to a group of people where there is at least one person you call usted individually.

===Vocabulario adicional===
*'''biología''' - biology
*'''geografía''' - geography
*'''geometría''' - geometry
*'''química''' - chemistry
*'''trigonometría''' - trigonometry
*'''francés''' - French
*'''cálculo''' - calculus
*'''economía''' - economics
*'''alemán''' - German
*'''latín''' - Latin
*'''anuario''' - yearbook
*'''fotografía''' - photography

===Cultural Insight (Schoolife in Spanish-speaking countries)===
In Spanish-speaking countries, schoolife is very different from that in North American English-speaking countries. Schools in Spanish-speaking countries require students to wear uniforms and teachers usually lecture more than having students participate in the classroom. Also, children in Spanish-speaking countries go to school more often than those in North - American English-speaking countries, children in Spain attend school for 190 days, Argentina for 185 days, while the United States schoolyear lasts 180 days. Schooldays in Spanish-speaking countries also last longer than those in other countries, usually having at least 6-7 periods a day, the former common in the USA as well.

===Country focus (República Dominicana)===
[[Image:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg|150px|right]]
The '''Dominican Republic''' (Spanish: República Dominicana) is a nation located in the Caribbean region's island of Hispaniola. Part of the Greater Antilles archipelago, Hispaniola lies west of Puerto Rico and east of Cuba and Jamaica. Its western third is the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are occupied by two countries, Saint Martin being the other.

The Dominican Republic is the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, its capital Santo Domingo, which was also the first colonial capital in the Americas. It is the site of the first cathedral, university, European-built road, European-built fortress, and more.

For most of its independent history, the nation experienced political turmoil and unrest, suffering through many non-representative and tyrannical governments. Since the death of military dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina in 1961, the Dominican Republic has moved toward a liberal economic model which has made it the largest economy in the region and a representative democracy.

[[Image:LocationDominicanRepublic.png|noframe|150px|right]]

The culture of the Dominican Republic, like its Caribbean neighbors, is a blend of the European colonists, Taínos and Africans, and their cultural legacies and like nearby Cuba, it's culture is usually expressed through music and cuisine.

[[Image:Fortalesa.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Fortaleza Ozama, one of the historic destinations in Santo Domingo]]

'''Factbox''':

-Official Language: Spanish

-Other Languages: French, Haitian Creole, English

-Capital: Santo Domingo (Santo Domingo de Guzmán)

-Government: Democracy

-Area: 48,730 sq km (18,815 sq mi) (130th)

-Population: 9,760,000 (July 2008) (82nd)

-Religion: Christianity (mostly Catholic) 96%, Animism 2.18%, Buddhism 0.1%, other (Bahá'í, Islam, Judaism, Non-religious) 1.72%

-Human Development: 0.779 (79th, MEDIUM)

[[Image:07-05-11LagoEnriquilloDR.jpg|150px|thumb|View of rural Dominican Republic.]]

-Independence: February 27, 1844

-Currency: Dominican Peso

{{sp1}}

Nerd Project

2007-11-11T12:11:18Z

81.152.47.64: /* Bibliography */ moved down to app cat

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Obtain and read through all the research books and papers
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis in research for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekker) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a subculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Girl nerds:'''

Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

'''In Japan:'''

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Eng, L. [http://www.cjas.org/~leng/otaku.pdf "Otak-who? Technoculture, youth, consumption, and resistance. American representations of a Japanese youth subculture"]. 2002.

'''Substantial cinema-released documentaries:'''

''[http://www.microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/title/1011/ $100 & a T-Shirt]'' (2004) (A feature-length documentary on U.S. fanzine editors).

''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0820887/ Genuine Nerd]'' (2006) (Feature-length documentary on Toby Radloff).

'''Background material:'''

Dinh, Diana. [http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/anthropology/svcp/SVCPgeek.html "The Gaming Geek Culture"] (2001). Part of the Silicon Valley Cultures Project.

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

Weeks, David. ''Eccentrics: A Study of Sanity and Strangeness.'' 2nd edition. Kodansha, 1997. (A sympathetic 200-sample study of English eccentrics, by a doctor in Edinburgh. He concludes that eccentrics are not mentally ill, and that many are saner than the general population)

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html Why nerds are unpopular in school?]
* [http://www.d-log.info/?cat=26 Dlog on nerds]
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* ''[http://www.nerdsgonewildmagazine.com/index.php?page_id=17&currentArea=themagazine Nerds Gone Wild]'' magazine.

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-11-11T12:10:30Z

81.152.47.64: /* Bibliography */ paper on reception and understanding of otaku in the US

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Obtain and read through all the research books and papers
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis in research for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekker) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a subculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Girl nerds:'''

Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Eng, L. [http://www.cjas.org/~leng/otaku.pdf "Otak-who? Technoculture, youth, consumption, and resistance. American representations of a Japanese youth subculture"]. 2002.

'''In Japan:'''

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

'''Substantial cinema-released documentaries:'''

''[http://www.microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/title/1011/ $100 & a T-Shirt]'' (2004) (A feature-length documentary on U.S. fanzine editors).

''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0820887/ Genuine Nerd]'' (2006) (Feature-length documentary on Toby Radloff).

'''Background material:'''

Dinh, Diana. [http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/anthropology/svcp/SVCPgeek.html "The Gaming Geek Culture"] (2001). Part of the Silicon Valley Cultures Project.

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

Weeks, David. ''Eccentrics: A Study of Sanity and Strangeness.'' 2nd edition. Kodansha, 1997. (A sympathetic 200-sample study of English eccentrics, by a doctor in Edinburgh. He concludes that eccentrics are not mentally ill, and that many are saner than the general population)

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html Why nerds are unpopular in school?]
* [http://www.d-log.info/?cat=26 Dlog on nerds]
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* ''[http://www.nerdsgonewildmagazine.com/index.php?page_id=17&currentArea=themagazine Nerds Gone Wild]'' magazine.

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-21T10:42:13Z

81.152.229.139: /* Possibly Informative Material */ magazine

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Obtain and read through all the research books and papers
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis in research for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Girl nerds:'''

Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

'''In Japan:'''

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

'''Substantial cinema-released documentaries:'''

''[http://www.microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/title/1011/ $100 & a T-Shirt]'' (2004) (A feature-length documentary on U.S. fanzine editors).

''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0820887/ Genuine Nerd]'' (2006) (Feature-length documentary on Toby Radloff).

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

Weeks, David. ''Eccentrics: A Study of Sanity and Strangeness.'' 2nd edition. Kodansha, 1997. (A sympathetic 200-sample study of English eccentrics, by a doctor in Edinburgh)

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html Why nerds are unpopular in school?]
* [http://www.d-log.info/?cat=26 Dlog on nerds]
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* ''[http://www.nerdsgonewildmagazine.com/index.php?page_id=17&currentArea=themagazine Nerds Gone Wild]'' magazine.

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-21T10:35:55Z

81.152.229.139: blog on nerds

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Obtain and read through all the research books and papers
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis in research for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Girl nerds:'''

Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

'''In Japan:'''

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

'''Substantial cinema-released documentaries:'''

''[http://www.microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/title/1011/ $100 & a T-Shirt]'' (2004) (A feature-length documentary on U.S. fanzine editors).

''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0820887/ Genuine Nerd]'' (2006) (Feature-length documentary on Toby Radloff).

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

Weeks, David. ''Eccentrics: A Study of Sanity and Strangeness.'' 2nd edition. Kodansha, 1997. (A sympathetic 200-sample study of English eccentrics, by a doctor in Edinburgh)

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html Why nerds are unpopular in school?]
* [http://www.d-log.info/?cat=26 Dlog on nerds]
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-21T10:17:09Z

81.152.229.139: /* Things to do */ read

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Obtain and read through all the research books and papers
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis in research for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Girl nerds:'''

Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

'''In Japan:'''

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

'''Substantial cinema-released documentaries:'''

''[http://www.microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/title/1011/ $100 & a T-Shirt]'' (2004) (A feature-length documentary on U.S. fanzine editors).

''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0820887/ Genuine Nerd]'' (2006) (Feature-length documentary on Toby Radloff).

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

Weeks, David. ''Eccentrics: A Study of Sanity and Strangeness.'' 2nd edition. Kodansha, 1997. (A sympathetic 200-sample study of English eccentrics, by a doctor in Edinburgh)

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html Why nerds are unpopular in school?]
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-21T10:15:01Z

81.152.229.139: /* Possibly Informative Material */ Paul Graham article

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis in research for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Girl nerds:'''

Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

'''In Japan:'''

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

'''Substantial cinema-released documentaries:'''

''[http://www.microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/title/1011/ $100 & a T-Shirt]'' (2004) (A feature-length documentary on U.S. fanzine editors).

''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0820887/ Genuine Nerd]'' (2006) (Feature-length documentary on Toby Radloff).

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

Weeks, David. ''Eccentrics: A Study of Sanity and Strangeness.'' 2nd edition. Kodansha, 1997. (A sympathetic 200-sample study of English eccentrics, by a doctor in Edinburgh)

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html Why nerds are unpopular in school?]
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-21T10:13:30Z

81.152.229.139: /* Bibliography */ apostrophe fix

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis in research for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Girl nerds:'''

Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

'''In Japan:'''

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

'''Substantial cinema-released documentaries:'''

''[http://www.microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/title/1011/ $100 & a T-Shirt]'' (2004) (A feature-length documentary on U.S. fanzine editors).

''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0820887/ Genuine Nerd]'' (2006) (Feature-length documentary on Toby Radloff).

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

Weeks, David. ''Eccentrics: A Study of Sanity and Strangeness.'' 2nd edition. Kodansha, 1997. (A sympathetic 200-sample study of English eccentrics, by a doctor in Edinburgh)

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-21T10:12:48Z

81.152.229.139: /* Bibliography */ documentaries

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis in research for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Girl nerds:'''

Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

'''In Japan:'''

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

'''Substantial cinema-released documentaries:'''

''[http://www.microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/title/1011/ $100 & a T-Shirt]'' (2004) (A feature-length documentary on U.S. fanzine editors).

'''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0820887/ Genuine Nerd]'' (2006) (Feature-length documentary on Toby Radloff).

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

Weeks, David. ''Eccentrics: A Study of Sanity and Strangeness.'' 2nd edition. Kodansha, 1997. (A sympathetic 200-sample study of English eccentrics, by a doctor in Edinburgh)

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-21T09:58:13Z

81.152.229.139: /* Bibliography */ Weeks, David

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis in research for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Girl nerds:'''

Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

'''In Japan:'''

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

Weeks, David. ''Eccentrics: A Study of Sanity and Strangeness.'' 2nd edition. Kodansha, 1997. (A sympathetic 200-sample study of English eccentrics, by a doctor in Edinburgh)

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-21T09:49:52Z

81.152.229.139: /* Characteristics */ in research

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis in research for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Girl nerds:'''

Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

'''In Japan:'''

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-21T09:46:35Z

81.152.229.139: /* Bibliography */ two refs added

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "Nerd Nation: Images of Nerds in U.S. Popular Culture." ''International Journal of Cultural Studies'', Vol. 2, No. 2, 260-283 (1999)

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Girl nerds:'''

Bucholtz, Mary. ""Why be normal?": Language and identity practices in a community of nerd girls." ''Language in Society'' (1999), 28: 203-223. Cambridge University Press.

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

'''In Japan:'''

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T22:34:41Z

81.152.229.139: /* Why is this research required? */ re-phrased for clarity

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society.

It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. This is causing a profound shift in the social acceptance and media portrayal of nerds, yet an extensive literature search shows that there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T22:33:19Z

81.152.229.139: /* Why is this research required? */ addition

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful, for the purpose of establishing the historical record, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies. Research is also needed because, following an extensive literature search, there appears to be almost no current activity in academic research on nerds.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T22:23:54Z

81.152.229.139: /* Bibliography */ link fix

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T22:23:22Z

81.152.229.139: /* Bibliography */ link fix

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[w:Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T22:21:04Z

81.152.229.139: /* Bibliography */ Reaktion Books

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema''. Reaktion Books, 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T22:18:16Z

81.152.229.139: /* Differences from Geeks */ link, italics

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to ''Star Trek'' conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as ''Star Wars''. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, ''Married... with Children''. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on [http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/ The Sexiest Geek Alive]).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema'' 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T22:13:21Z

81.152.229.139: /* Bibliography */ Japanese market report on the otaku (japanese nerds)

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

''[http://www.nri.co.jp/english/opinion/papers/2004/pdf/np200484.pdf The Otaku Group From A Business Perspective]'' (PDF, 366kb). Japan, 2004.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema'' 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T22:06:58Z

81.152.229.139: /* Related Wikipedia Articles */

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema'' 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Stereotype|Stereotypes]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T22:04:57Z

81.152.229.139: /* Related Wikipedia Articles */ sub-cats, expanded

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema'' 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==

'''Main:'''

* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geeks]]
* [[w:Otaku|Otaku]]
* [[w:Boffin|Boffins]] and [[w:Mad scientist|Mad scientists]]
* [[w:Asperger syndrome|Asperger's syndrome]]

'''Theories from psychology and sociology:'''

* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]

'''Gaming and RPG fan cultures:'''

* [[w:GURPS|GURPS (a role-playing system)]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]

'''Nerds in the media:'''

See: Wikipedia's [[w:List of nerds in media|list of nerds in the media]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T21:51:58Z

81.152.229.139: required

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research required? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema'' 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==
* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Steve_Urkel|Steve Urkel]]
* [[w:Revenge_Of_The_Nerds|Revenge of the Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geek]]
* [[w:Dustin_Diamond#Screech_from_Saved_by_the_Bell|Screech]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:GURPS|GURPS]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T21:35:54Z

81.152.229.139: /* Bibliography */ background

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

'''Background material:'''

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema'' 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==
* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Steve_Urkel|Steve Urkel]]
* [[w:Revenge_Of_The_Nerds|Revenge of the Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geek]]
* [[w:Dustin_Diamond#Screech_from_Saved_by_the_Bell|Screech]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:GURPS|GURPS]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T21:34:33Z

81.152.229.139: /* Possibly Informative Material */ de-junked list, removed a dead link, add a couple, gave them names

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema'' 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==
* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Steve_Urkel|Steve Urkel]]
* [[w:Revenge_Of_The_Nerds|Revenge of the Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geek]]
* [[w:Dustin_Diamond#Screech_from_Saved_by_the_Bell|Screech]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:GURPS|GURPS]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* [http://www.rpgstudies.net/ Studies about fantasy role-playing games]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html "Army frowns on Dungeons and Dragons"]
* [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html "The geek syndrome"]
* [http://www.geekstudies.org/ Geek Studies weblog]

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T21:21:55Z

81.152.229.139: /* Abstract/Introduction/Background */ spelling fix

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new category of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema'' 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==
* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Steve_Urkel|Steve Urkel]]
* [[w:Revenge_Of_The_Nerds|Revenge of the Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geek]]
* [[w:Dustin_Diamond#Screech_from_Saved_by_the_Bell|Screech]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:GURPS|GURPS]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1578
* http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~messner/
* http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/
* http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/resolve?id=doi:10.1086/427523&erFrom=-6095881577244496859Guest
* http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/faculty/faculty1003528.html
* http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html
* http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2006/12/israeli_army_ha.html
* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1686784.ece
* http://www.geekstudies.org/

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T21:20:58Z

81.152.229.139: grammar fix

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, we may reach a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new catagory of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema'' 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==
* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Steve_Urkel|Steve Urkel]]
* [[w:Revenge_Of_The_Nerds|Revenge of the Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geek]]
* [[w:Dustin_Diamond#Screech_from_Saved_by_the_Bell|Screech]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:GURPS|GURPS]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1578
* http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~messner/
* http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/
* http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/resolve?id=doi:10.1086/427523&erFrom=-6095881577244496859Guest
* http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/faculty/faculty1003528.html
* http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html
* http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2006/12/israeli_army_ha.html
* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1686784.ece
* http://www.geekstudies.org/

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T21:20:17Z

81.152.229.139: Scientist and the Cinema, rewrite

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research? ==
The way people construct or know their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and to their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is, and where the spectrum of nerd identities/stereotypes came from, may give some a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. It is also useful for historical purposes, to examine "the nerd" at a moment in history when the work of computer nerds in particular appears to be profoundly re-shaping advanced societies.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* What is the spectrum of "nerd-ness"? What are the core nerd personality traits?
* How did this identity originate? And where? In what culture?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of heavy computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males and females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon? Or are they specific to only a few social groups?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quantitively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems, thus far in the project, that the primary research tool will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature search and review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators and suitable advanced discussion forums

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the microcomputer revolution of the mid 1970s, a new catagory of identity has been formed in the English-speaking world. This identity is that of "the nerd". The mass media has played a complex role in reflecting and amplifying the nerd stereotype. This media portrayal has built upon a previous tradition of portraying eccentric and obsessed scientists and inventors.

The portrayal of the nerd stereotype has happened at a time when other male roles (e.g.: "the sports jock") have also been changing in their nature and scope. Certain male identity formations have been de-legitimised by the media. Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The male consumer as loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, ''Sports Illustrated'', and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the modern "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The ''Merriam-Webster English Dictionary'' definition is an...

:"unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy.

Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them.

In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.)

The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy ''Happy Days'' which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic media depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in a particular complex subject and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning [[Asperger's Syndrome]]. The lack of serious studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. The two terms are commonly used incorrectly, or are misapplied, particularly by journalists.

Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Frayling, Christopher. ''Mad, Bad And Dangerous?: The Scientist and the Cinema'' 2005.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==
* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Steve_Urkel|Steve Urkel]]
* [[w:Revenge_Of_The_Nerds|Revenge of the Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geek]]
* [[w:Dustin_Diamond#Screech_from_Saved_by_the_Bell|Screech]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:GURPS|GURPS]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1578
* http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~messner/
* http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/
* http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/resolve?id=doi:10.1086/427523&erFrom=-6095881577244496859Guest
* http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/faculty/faculty1003528.html
* http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html
* http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2006/12/israeli_army_ha.html
* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1686784.ece
* http://www.geekstudies.org/

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T20:56:41Z

81.152.229.139: /* Bibliography */ Another Kendall

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research? ==
The way people construct their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is and where the identity/stereotype came from may give some a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. By understanding the roots and implications of one's experience one may have the opportunity to expand and enrich the way they experience their reality.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* How did this identity originate?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males a females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quanitatively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems thus far in the project the primary research tool for this project will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the rise of the microcomputer revolution over the last few decades a new genre of identity has been formed in the fabric of our society. This identity is that of "the nerd". In the USA, movies such as ''Revenge of the Nerds'', and TV shows such as ''Family Matters ''and ''Saved by the Bell ''have all used this social identity to model characters and story plots.

Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The Male Consumer as Loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, Sports Illustrated, and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The Merriam-Webster English dictionary definition is an "unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. (The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.)

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy. Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them. In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.) The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy Happy Days which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter. The nature of the strip tapped into men's fears, hormones, and competitive instincts over women.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film GoldenEye. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in complex subjects and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning Asperger syndrome. The lack of studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

Kendall, Lori. "'Oh No! I'm a Nerd!': Hegemonic Masculinity on an Online Forum." ''Gender & Society'', 14 (2) (2000): 256-274.

Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==
* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Steve_Urkel|Steve Urkel]]
* [[w:Revenge_Of_The_Nerds|Revenge of the Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geek]]
* [[w:Dustin_Diamond#Screech_from_Saved_by_the_Bell|Screech]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:GURPS|GURPS]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1578
* http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~messner/
* http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/
* http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/resolve?id=doi:10.1086/427523&erFrom=-6095881577244496859Guest
* http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/faculty/faculty1003528.html
* http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html
* http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2006/12/israeli_army_ha.html
* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1686784.ece
* http://www.geekstudies.org/

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T20:55:36Z

81.152.229.139: /* Bibliography */ Kendall

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research? ==
The way people construct their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is and where the identity/stereotype came from may give some a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. By understanding the roots and implications of one's experience one may have the opportunity to expand and enrich the way they experience their reality.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* How did this identity originate?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males a females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quanitatively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems thus far in the project the primary research tool for this project will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the rise of the microcomputer revolution over the last few decades a new genre of identity has been formed in the fabric of our society. This identity is that of "the nerd". In the USA, movies such as ''Revenge of the Nerds'', and TV shows such as ''Family Matters ''and ''Saved by the Bell ''have all used this social identity to model characters and story plots.

Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The Male Consumer as Loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, Sports Illustrated, and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The Merriam-Webster English dictionary definition is an "unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. (The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.)

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy. Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them. In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.) The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy Happy Days which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter. The nature of the strip tapped into men's fears, hormones, and competitive instincts over women.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film GoldenEye. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in complex subjects and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning Asperger syndrome. The lack of studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==
Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

Kendall, Lori. "'The Nerd Within': Mass Media and the Negotiation of Identity Among Computer-Using Men." ''Journal of Men's Studies'', 7(3) (1999): 353-69.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==
* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Steve_Urkel|Steve Urkel]]
* [[w:Revenge_Of_The_Nerds|Revenge of the Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geek]]
* [[w:Dustin_Diamond#Screech_from_Saved_by_the_Bell|Screech]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:GURPS|GURPS]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1578
* http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~messner/
* http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/
* http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/resolve?id=doi:10.1086/427523&erFrom=-6095881577244496859Guest
* http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/faculty/faculty1003528.html
* http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html
* http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2006/12/israeli_army_ha.html
* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1686784.ece
* http://www.geekstudies.org/

[[Category:Social Research]]

Nerd Project

2007-06-20T20:49:40Z

81.152.229.139: added to bibliography

{{wiktionary|Nerd}}
= Nerds & Geeks: An Etiological History and its Psychosocial Implications =

== Why is this research? ==
The way people construct their own and others social identities affects the way people relate to each other and their reality. By attaining a better understanding of what a nerd is and where the identity/stereotype came from may give some a better understanding of how this identity has shaped the way individuals experience and interact with society. By understanding the roots and implications of one's experience one may have the opportunity to expand and enrich the way they experience their reality.

== Questions involved ==
Please use this space to brain storm.
* What is a nerd?
* How did this identity originate?
* What are the implications of being labeled a nerd?
* What are the implications of labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are causal factors involved with labeling oneself a nerd?
* What are the psychological processes involved?
* What percentage of computer users label themselves as nerds?
* What percentage of people label themselves a nerd?
* What percentage of nerds will report positive valance about schema surrounding their identity as a nerd?
* What is the differences between males a females who label themselves nerds?
* Are "nerds" a cross cultural phenomenon?
* Generally, do nerds have a greater or fewer number of sexual partners than the average person?
** Are the quality of the sexual experiences of nerds of higher or lower quality than those who are "not nerds"?
* Are there objective criteria for what is qualitatively or quanitatively a nerd?
* '''Gender bias'''.
**Are social groups and activities that are perceived as "nerdy" subject to sexual stereotyping about their relevance to women and men?
**Is there wide-spread misunderstanding about the relative worth of "nerdy activities" to women and men?
**Is there active promotion of misconceptions about the relevance of "nerdy activities" to both sexes?
**Do social groups that self-identify as "nerdy" unfairly exclude more women than men?

== Methods ==
It seems thus far in the project the primary research tool for this project will be research of current literature, and the qualitative study of various social facts. If it is deemed useful, then perhaps an ethnographic approach will be embraced as the study progresses.

== Things to do ==

* Conduct an initial literature review
* Structure the project
* Conduct additional research
* Find other collaborators

==Abstract/Introduction/Background==
Since the rise of the microcomputer revolution over the last few decades a new genre of identity has been formed in the fabric of our society. This identity is that of "the nerd". In the USA, movies such as ''Revenge of the Nerds'', and TV shows such as ''Family Matters ''and ''Saved by the Bell ''have all used this social identity to model characters and story plots.

Researchers such as De Oca have published research on other social identities such as the "The Male Consumer as Loser" and have traced the etiology of this identity to the rise of the Superbowl, Sports Illustrated, and the connected marketing campaigns of alcohol companies.

The research of de Oca & Messner (2005) begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be stereotyped as "the male consumer-loser" or was this social identity a natural evolution brought about by other psycho-social causal factors that the advertising simply utilized to sell a product? To discover definitively what were the causal factors that led to the social perception of the existence of "nerds" is not necessarily the scope of this project. Tentatively, the scope of this project is to discover the possible causal historical correlates that coincide with the rise of the "nerd" identity, and what the possible causes and implications of this identity are.

== Etiology/History ==

=== History ===

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests - such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in any physical activity, or having friends. The Merriam-Webster English dictionary definition is an "unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits"

The term "Nerd" goes back at least to 1951, when ''Newsweek ''reported the usage as relatively new in Detroit, Michigan. By the 1960s, it took on connotations of bookishness as well as social ineptitude. The word itself first appeared in Dr. Seuss's book ''If I Ran the Zoo'', published in 1950, where it simply names one of Seuss's many comical imaginary animals. (The narrator Gerald McGrew claims that he would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too" for his imaginary zoo.)

Another theory of the word's origin sees it as a variation on Mortimer Snerd, the name of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy. Yet another theory traces the term to Northern Electric Research and Development, suggesting images of engineers wearing pocket protectors with the acronym N.E.R.D. printed on them. In the 1933 film ''Dinner at Eight'', Jean Harlow's character replies to her husband's suggestion that she might enjoy mingling with Washington "cabinet members' wives" by saying, "Nerds!... A lot of sour-faced frumps with last year's clothes on, pinning medals on Girl Scouts and pouring tea for the DARs..." [Spelling is from Turner DVD subtitles and not verified by the original script.] (However, this may be an intentional softening of the expletive "Nuts!", which was considered vulgar at the time.)

Finally, oral history at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, holds that the word was coined there, spelled as "knurd" ("drunk" spelled backwards), to describe those who studied rather than partied. (This usage predates a similar coinage of "knurd" by author Terry Pratchett.) The term itself was used heavily in the American 1974–1984 television comedy Happy Days which was set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the mid-1950s.

In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely. Comic book ads for Charles Atlas weights and workout books were often accompanied by a short comic strip about a skinny "weakling" and his girlfriend at the beach. In the strip, a muscular bully kicks sand on the weakling. His girlfriend leaves him for the bully. The weakling exercises (using Atlas's trademarked "Dynamic Tension" method) until he has bigger muscles than the bully. He then defeats the bully in a fist fight. The girl leaves the bully, and joins the former weakling again as his girlfriend. This simple comic strip may have shaped nerd-versus-bully storylines thereafter. The nature of the strip tapped into men's fears, hormones, and competitive instincts over women.

=== Popular culture ===

Dramatic depictions of good nerds typically reveal them to be good-hearted people who wish harm on no one, but are bullied by their obvious intellectual inferiors. Many nerds in fiction play roles as supporting characters who provide valuable sources of information or useful skills for the heroes. Nerds as lead characters often have a secret identity as a superhero; in these cases, a put-upon person has a wonderful secret (examples include Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Clark Kent/Superman). Nerds in supporting roles often feature as technological geniuses who invent or repair various devices that enable the main characters to move towards a goal. They also serve as socially inept foils to much more charming main characters, and are sometimes depicted as being lovelorn and longing for attractive females who are beyond their status.

Nerds are often used for comic relief, for example by overconfidently making advances towards a woman they like but being rebuffed in a rude (but funny) manner. Sometimes they are made to be overconfident to the point of obnoxiousness, to make them seem deserving of their poor treatment.

Evil nerds, typically embittered from a lifetime as a social outcast and seeking revenge upon the world, provide a popular archetype for the supervillain, often as a mad scientist. This suggests that these characters represent the subconscious cultural fear that the highly intelligent have the ability to do great harm, and a willingness to do it. This seems to be the modern equivalent of the portrayal of scientists in the science fiction "bug movies" of the 1950s, representing societal fears about the harmful effects that nuclear power might cause.[citation needed]. A more modern example of the evil nerd is enemy computer programmer Boris Grischenko in the James Bond film GoldenEye. Grishenko also embodies the obnoxious aspect in some nerds, with his catchphrase, "Yes! I am invincible!" after having cracked a computer code.

The total opposite of a nerd is shown in Jay Ward's "Mr. Know-It-All" cartoon segments. Bullwinkle, also known as Mr. Know-It-All, thinks he can do certain things, when he cannot due to his stupidity. In the cartoons, Boris Badenov (or some other evil character) usually beats up Mr. Know-It-All. Meanwhile, the time-traveling duo from this cartoon series — Mister Peabody, a talking dog, and his boy, Sherman — are both nerds; they both sport dark-rimmed glasses, and the dog wears a bow tie.

The artist "Weird Al" Yankovic composed a song entitled White and Nerdy. In the song he lists typical characteristics of a nerd. For example, being an avid Star Trek viewer, knowing programming code, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and editing Wikipedia.

=== Characteristics ===

Non-nerds often think of nerds as intelligent yet socially awkward people. Nerds generally express an above-normal interest in complex subjects and often function as polymaths. Topics dealing with science, technology, comic books, complex board games (particularly chess, role-playing games, and wargames), classical music, artificial intelligence, video games and science fiction, horror and fantasy literature books, TV shows and movies have all become heavily associated with nerds, as have conventions relating to these various topics.

Despite their crucial function as a class within modern society, there has been almost no serious and methodologically-reliable academic research published on geeks/nerds, apart from a handful of studies of their consumption-based fan cultures. Some commentators have noticed similarities between pronounced nerdy behavior and the neurological disorder known as high-functioning Asperger syndrome. The lack of studies of nerds means that we have no basis for proving such a correlation, causal or other relationship between the two types.

In the practice of psychology, geeks and nerds can be said to be Myers-Briggs Type Indicator INTP, ENTP or INTJ, and, in various cases, ENTJ. However, due to speculation over the difference of nerds and geeks, the types cannot be sorted into their subsequent classifications. Also, all types have the ability to be nerds, whereas the INTJ, INTP, ENTP, and ENTJ are near definites for being nerds. The INTP is the classic programmer type, INTJ the classic scientist type. However, due to the sterotypical shyness and social ineptitude associated with nerds, the INTP and INTJ are more likely to be classified into that group than their Extroverted counterparts. These two types are the Introverted iNtuitive Thinkers. As Introverts they are stimulated by thoughts and ideas, rather than people and things. They are often quite happy spending hours absorbed in solitary activities. As iNtuitives, they are more inclined toward abstract concepts and subtle connections than in concrete examples or direct experience. As Thinkers, they are more adept in logic and reason than feelings or emotions. This combination makes INT's masters of mathematics, logic, and science, but rather oblivious to social graces. Both INTJs and INTPs tend to be outwardly nerdy and actively rebel against social rules they view as irrational and meaningless. However, INTJs tend to learn to put on a facade of surface conformism to draw less attention to themselves. For example long hair is, not surprisingly, common with INTP men, whereas INTJ men would keep their hair cut low, and dress conservatively.

In the works of Riso and Hudson, specifically Understanding the Enneagram revised edition, page 180, point 10, the term "nerd" is used as a primary reference to (and indication of being) Enneagram type 5.

=== Differences from Geeks ===
Pundits and observers dispute the relationship of the terms "nerd" and "geek" to one another, as many use the words synonymously. Some view the geek as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined, however a general consensus is that a "geek" is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a "nerd" is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Geeks are more associated with obsessive knowledge. For example a ''[[:wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] ''geek (or Trekkie) is someone who could tell you extremely trivial details about ''Star Trek ''and may be likely to watch the show on a daily basis or go to Star Trek conventions. A person can be a nerd in almost any subject, but is usually associated with things that most people don't do or things that require an intellect, for example a person who plays a lot of video games could be called a gaming nerd, but it would be inappropriate to call an obsessive chef a cooking nerd because many people cook and it is a daily activity, whereas video games are more of a counterculture. Another difference some people make between nerds and geeks are that nerds are more "bookworms" whose interests are in the fields of academia, such as mathematics and science. Geeks are interested in computers and video gaming, or movies with large fan-bases such as Star Wars. While both are considered highly intelligent, "nerd" has become more of a term of endearment, while "geek" still carries a more negative connotation. Nerds will often refer to themselves as nerds without shame and seek friendship with other nerds. The use of the word "geek" is slowly becoming less and less. The interchangeable use of the terms "geek" and "nerd" is a main cause of the lack of distinction between the two. A good example of this is found in an episode of the television show, Married... with Children. The protagonist, Al Bundy, complains about wearing glasses, saying he will look like a nerd. His friend, Jefferson Darcy, responds, "No, Al, you won't be a nerd. You're too dumb to be a nerd."

Some regional differences may exist in the use of the words nerd and geek. Some claim that on the North American west coast the population prefers the term geek to nerd, while the North American east coast prefers the word nerd to geek, (see Ellen Spertus's web page on The Sexiest Geek Alive).

== Bibliography ==
Messner, M.A. & de Oca J.M. (2005) "The Male consumer as loser: Beer and liquor ads in mega sports media events." ''Journal of Women in Culture and Society'', 30, 1879–1909.

Tocci, Jason. "[http://geekstudies.org/papers/mit5-presentation-notes.pdf The Well-Dressed Geek: Media Appropriation and Subcultural Style]" (Paper given at the [http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/mit5/index.html MIT5 conference]. PDF, 180kb).

Newitz, A. & Anders, C. (Eds) ''She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff''. Seal Press, 2006.

Okada, Toshio. ''Otaku Gaku Nyumon'' (Translated: 'Introduction to [[Otaku]]ology'). Ohta Verlag. Tokyo, 1996.

== Related Wikipedia Articles==
* [[w:Nerd|Nerds]]
* [[w:Steve_Urkel|Steve Urkel]]
* [[w:Revenge_Of_The_Nerds|Revenge of the Nerds]]
* [[w:Geek|Geek]]
* [[w:Dustin_Diamond#Screech_from_Saved_by_the_Bell|Screech]]
* [[w:Gender_Construction|Gender Construction]]
* [[w:Discworld_%28world%29|Discworld-World]]
* [[w:GURPS|GURPS]]
* [[w:Roleplaying|Roleplaying]]
* [[w:Historical_re-enactment|Historical Re-Enactment]]
* [[w:Enneagram#The_Nine_Enneatypes|Enneatypes]]
* [[w:Social_fact|Social Fact]]
* [[w:Henry_Jenkins|Henry Jenkins]]

== Possibly Informative Material ==
* http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1578
* http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~messner/
* http://people.mills.edu/spertus/Geek/
* http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/resolve?id=doi:10.1086/427523&erFrom=-6095881577244496859Guest
* http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/faculty/faculty1003528.html
* http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3052074,00.html
* http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2006/12/israeli_army_ha.html
* http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1686784.ece
* http://www.geekstudies.org/

[[Category:Social Research]]