Semester One - September ‘23 - January ‘24
<aside> 🔗 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wy4KmA9UrfwFHafRuLp7ARDcu4zgH0xg/view?usp=sharing
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<aside> 📖 As my dissertation was of .epub format, and storage on Notion is limited, I have included a link to the dissertation above and a text-only version below.
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Introduction
“Get in the kitchen and make me a sandwich.”
Does this phrase sound familiar? Women so often face harsh and dehumanising circumstances when gaming online in comparison to men. If you are a woman, chances are, you have encountered this hideous saying before.
Half of the global gaming community consists of women. A popular misconception exists that men play more video games than women. According to a study from 2021, this statement is simply not true, and is an opinion based around misogynistic and prejudiced views. Currently, women constitute 50% of the total gaming community, and incidentally, 75% of young female gamers have experienced some form of online abuse and harassment from men.
Misogyny has always existed. The name itself derives from the ancient Greek term mīsoguníā, which means, “hatred towards women.” Misogyny is defined as the resentment of, aversion to, or prejudice against women. It is, for the most part, visible through the actions of men who believe themselves to be above women, simply because of gender.
Since its invention in the 1980’s, the internet has been expanding consistently, particularly growing popular with the introduction of social media. From then, across the digital globe, misogyny has grown abundant. Sexism, as an issue, remains so strongly and deeply ingrained into today’s society that it has become a real danger to most women, and it is prevalent especially across online gaming platforms, where anonymity and access to personal information is profusely abused. This research will explore the specific dangers and challenges faced by women, and by all marginalised groups, when gaming online.
Gaming is becoming increasingly diverse day by day. Throughout most of their history, video games featured mostly white male protagonists. For players with much more diverse backgrounds, it was difficult to see a main character that they could relate to at all. Fortunately, the video game industry has become growingly inclusive in recent years, with a greater representation of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and abilities. However, flaws remain and flourish, particularly within its communities, and the inclusivity within game companies, development and media presence is far from perfect.
Gender Stereotyping - Are Men Better at Video Games?
It is absolutely no secret that gender stereotyping exists towards women and gaming. There is a widespread belief among consumers of video games that women are less adept at gaming than men. The impact of these stereotypes contributes to the unfair and foul treatment of women as soon as they enter chat rooms and lobbies, as well as behind the scenes in areas such as game development and journalism, where women’s abilities, opinions and skills are viewed as lesser to men’s.