Nerd Project
The Etiology and Psycho-Social Implications of Nerds
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". 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 marketting campaigns put form by beer commercials.
This research begs the questions, did the media shape the social identities of the individuals who could currently be sterotyped 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?
Connected Wikipedia Articles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerd
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Urkel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenge_Of_The_Nerds