...In Georgia Warnke’s book Debating Sex and Gender, Gayle Rubin recognizes sex as the “raw material” of the bodies of female and male human beings, while gender pertains to the roles and functions those human beings have in society and the culture of which they are a part of. Rubin states that sexism is the general phenomenon in which females become “domesticated women”, or workhorses for men. Rubin wrote her influential essay The Traffic in Women in 1975, yet her definitions of sex, gender, and sexism are still applicable today. The issues that Rubin addressed are demonstrated in particular in today’s media, which reinforces gender inequality and objectification, through the depiction of women as hyper-sexualized, weak, and unskilled. This negative depiction of women exists especially in the gaming community, in which many have criticized the negative portrayal of women as sexist and severely problematic. Video games like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption portray women in an almost exclusively violent and sexualized manner, which serves to reinforce the never-ending sexism and gender biases that society has upheld for centuries. Society as a whole can change the perception of gender and how women are perceived, but leaps towards progressive ideas need to be made first, starting with the video game industry as a whole. Throughout history, women’s roles have primarily been domestic – staying home and being responsible for the care of her husband and children. As Warnke...
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...Select character tells the story of a woman who plays his husband’s video game and in the process of playing through the entire game, gets told by the department of defense that the country needs her. Throughout the story, her husband is watching her play the game and is chastising her on what she is doing and telling her what she should be doing. The husband portrays the stereotype that females who play video games don’t know what they are doing and need constant help to get through the game. The woman has been playing the game for some time now and has developed her own way of how she wants to play it and while she tries to explain to him that she knows what she is doing and that she has done this before, he doesn’t bother to listen to her and instead continues to tell her what she should be doing. This is a...
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...My research question is what effects does online gaming have on the components of socialization and gender. I am investigating topics such as online socialization, impact on social life, gender roles, macrostructures, microstructures... From my experience, online gaming tends to destroy or severely damage an individual’s regular social life. Some online gamers prefer to socialize only through the game where the rules are less strict and they are free to act in a way they would not normally be in real society. Online gaming gives gamers a sense of confidence, calm and reassurance because it allows an individual to meet new people without worrying too much about the repercussions of their actions. There is a sense of ambiguity because in the game a person cannot determine who is controlling the other characters whether male or female. Gender roles are not as defined in the online world since you are allowed to choose your character’s gender or sex. This allows people to act out lives that they do not have or be a different person completely separate from the real world. The three journal articles I am using for this literature review are as follows: Video Game Characters and the Socialization of Gender Roles: Young People’s Perceptions Mirror Sexist Media Depictions Dill, Karen E., and Kathryn P. Thill. "Video Game Characters and the Socialization of Gender Roles: Young People's Perceptions Mirror Sexist Media Depictions." Sex Roles 57.11-12 (2007): 851-64. ProQuest. Web. 9 Oct...
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...Exposed to Video Games Vincent Michael Baclaan Chapter 1 Introduction to the Study Chapter One, is divided into 5 parts: (1) Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study, (2) Statement of the Problem and Hypotheses, (3) Significance of the Study, (4) Definition of Terms and (5) Delimitation of the Study. Part One, Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study, presents the rationale and the reasons why the study is being conducted. Likewise, it describes the theoretical basis of the study as well as the conceptual framework. Part Two, Statement of the Problem and Hypotheses, describes the general goal of the study and the specific questions to be answered in the study with corresponding hypothesis to be tested. Part Three, Significance of the Study, enumerates the different beneficiaries and corresponding benefits that they can derived from the results of the study. Part Four, Definition of Terms, list alphabetically technical terms used in the study. These terms are defined conceptually and operationally. Part Five, Delimitation of the Study, identifies the scopes and limitations encountered during the conduct of the study. It identifies the variables, the subjects, research designs and statistically analysis procedures used in the study. Likewise, it specifies the location and time in the conduct of the study. Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study A video game is a game that involves...
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...Video game playing has become an increasingly popular activity for many people to do. With all the video game playing, this gives rise to possible concerns about how the media portrays such things in the game. One aspect of the game that is an increasing talked about subject in video games is gender and how it portrays both men and women. In many games, women are shown as having the passive role and men having a more role. In an article written by Jeroen Jansz, who is a professor of communication and media at Erasmus University and Raynel G. Martis, his colleague, focus on the way gender is portrayed in video games. In the article they wrote, it focuses on the way that women are viewed in video games as a submissive and non-dominant player as the paratext around females in games would suggest. However, in Tomb Raider, Lara Croft distinguishes a different role than...
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...10/14/2014 [Type the document subtitle] | Kyle Miller | | kids get violent from video games | | kids get violent from video games | Certain things will trigger things that can make them violent, as in a violent memory triggered that can set them off. “15 years later, that hasn’t discouraged teens from playing video games, especially of the violent ilk. Approximately 90% of children in the U.S. play video games, and more than 90% of those games involve mature content that often includes violence. The connection between violent media and aggression has also spawned a body of research that has gone back and forth on the issue.” Children who repeatedly play violent video games are learning thought patterns that will stick with them and influence behaviors as they grow older, according to a new study by Iowa State University researchers. The effect is the same regardless of age, gender or culture. Douglas Gentile, an associate professor of psychology and lead author of the study published in JAMA Pediatrics, says it is really no different than learning math or to play the piano. “If you practice over and over, you have that knowledge in your head. The fact that you haven’t played the piano in years doesn’t mean you can’t still sit down and play something,” Gentile said. “It’s the same with violent games – you practice being vigilant for enemies, practice thinking that it’s acceptable to respond aggressively to provocation, and practice becoming desensitized to the...
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...Forrester Discernment and Discourse 1313 5 May 2014 Sexism Sells: The Male Dominated Video Game Industry Only 4% of video game titles released in the past 10 years feature a playable female character as the leading role, and there are even fewer female protagonists on the list of the top grossing video games (ESA). This trend of male dominated storylines is evident in other forms of media as well: movies and television shows tend to be centered around men, but video games show the least diversity in protagonists and often have regressive views on women and their position in society. Women make up 20% of console video game players and 46% of computer and mobile game players in this 20 billion dollar a year industry, meaning they are contributing a large amount of profits (ESA). Despite their significant purchasing power, they are not represented equally as characters in games, and continue to be used as a plot device or sexual being to attract the male target audience. Neither are they allowed to be a compelling character with a story arc and personal growth as we see with the male protagonist. Female characters, when included, tend to be one dimensional and only valued for typically how they fit into traditional gender roles by being submissive and innocent. This narrow portrayal of women comes from the fact that the developers of video games are predominantly men. Only 11% of game designers are women and only 3% of programmers, even though it is one of the fastest growing...
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... This article examines the effects of increased student usage of traditional video games as well as online games. The demographics of the typical game player will be examined along with effects on the individual development and sociological perceptions. This article will also look at the potential education utility of video games and the effect of games on student engagement and social development. The College Gamer Recent data from UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute provides useful information about video game usage on college campuses. The data show that most college students have played video games, many play them regularly, and a small percentage use them as a primary means of entertainment and leisure. In the 2009 Freshman Survey, around 1% of respondents admitted to playing over 20 hours of videogames per week. Over 35% of the respondents stated that they play at least one hour per week. There is an enormous gender disparity in the amount of time spend on videogames. While less than 1 in 50 incoming freshmen women played more than 10 hours of videogames per week, 1 in 10 males admitted to doing this (UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, 2009). The disparity increases with 10 times more males than females admitting to playing more than 20 hours per week. Video game usage tends to drop significantly during the first year of college. Over 7% more students report playing no video games at all after the first year than they...
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...towards something they know or they seem to know. Recently it has been said in innumerable quantity of articles and television programs, that brings over and over that the persons should not play video games, for diverse reasons, already because they can damage the sight as well as isolate the people of the real world and saying to come to a point where the only thing that people only want to play video games. Moreover, the opinions or inferences from the video games, the purpose of the essay is a linked topic to videogames, the group of interest especially I belong, Girl Gamers, the situation to be a woman and gamer, continues nowadays being something controversial. However the gender nature of gaming is not a stereotype itself, although it may contribute to females’ gamers to be seen in a wrong perspectives and beliefs towards playing video games. Body Gaming has been consider more able or adaptable for men/boys rather than women/girls. Nowadays there are more female gamers in the industry; around 44% of gamers are female and 55% are male (Entertainment Software Association, 2015). The world in general has done to itself, different perceptions or inferences, to certain, extent badly groundless due to the fact or even, the possibility of seeing women or girls to play video games. It is true that nowadays not only this question as this one, but in any other area, the tastes or the hobbies already do not qualify as anything for woman or anything for man, but with the time...
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...Just Video Games "Man dies in Taiwan after 3-day online gaming binge" (Hunt, 2015). One of the most significant things that are constantly and rapidly evolving is technology. Technology has a direct impact on the social, economic, political, and cultural life. Nobody these days can do the daily responsibilities without using transportation or without their phone. Technology has become part of everything in the life. This rapid development has many advantages, but unfortunately it also has some disadvantages. Currently, the most important advantages is using technology in the educational process. On the other hand, technology has also some negative impacts especially on the kids. The worst disadvantage of using technology is that...
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...Do Video Games Promote Sexism? Did you know that a new statistic has determined approximately 48% of all “gamers” are female? Recently many feminist journalists use this study as evidence that video game culture is falling behind in terms of appealing to a female audience, and that a culture of sexism and misogyny is perpetuated and rampant throughout videogames. As a component of this culture we must question whether these accusations are valid. In order to understand this argument we must answer the question, what is a gamer? According to this study a gamer is anyone who plays, however occasionally, any form of game including mobile games like “Clash of Clans” or “Candy Crush”. Even a person who played “Pong” even a single time in the 1980s...
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...Through the technological advancements and the progression of the video game console industry, the demographics of the target segment for this industry has changed in many different factors. First, a frequent misconception of the customer base of this industry is the age group of the video gamers. Many believe that youth dominate the video game console industry but studies have proven otherwise. Researchers surveying the demographics in the 2012 USA market, the average ‘gamer’ is 30 years old down from 37 years old in 2011. As a matter of fact, the results presented only 32% of gamers to be under the age of 18, a declining trend initiating from 2005. This trend further opposes the conception of the core of video gamers are youth. As of January 2012, 56% of all households in the US own a console and 17% owning 2 video game consoles. This implies that the customers in the industry are increasing loyalty on the brand rather than seeking to turnover to another console. These statistics and research illustrate that the age of consumers in this industry varies than the common perception. Changes in these trends must be analyzed carefully and acted upon to increase market share. Women, families, grandparents, have all shown increases in the participation of video games. Another common misconception is the gender base of consumers using video game consoles being dominated by males. 2012 data conveys that the gamer gender demographics are broken down to 53% skewed to the males and 47%...
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...| Violent Video Games | | | | Violent Video Games INTRODUCTION: Concerns over the effect of violent video games on today’s youth have been debated since the late 1970’s. School shootings, criminal behavior, bullying, and violence towards woman have all been blamed on violent video games. Electronic media plays an important role in the emotional development, social behavior and intellectual functioning of children and youth. Many video games are very helpful for children to facilitate medical treatment, increase learning, and promote pro-social behavior. However, there are also video games that include aggression, violence and sexualized violence that have a negative impact on children. After the 1993 release of Mortal Combat, Congress contemplated regulating the sale of video games. The video game industry responded by voluntarily establishing the ESRB, (Entertainment Software Rating Board) to create a ratings system. The rating system was based on the content of the video game. The controversy over violent video games resurfaced following the Columbine High School shooting in Jefferson County, Colorado on April 20, 1999 (procon.org). According to procon.org, in 2008, 298.2 million video games were sold in the US, totaling $11.7 billion in revenue. Six of the top ten best-selling video games included violence, with four of the games carrying a "mature" rating recommended for persons aged 17 and older. AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR: Video games often reward...
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...This article is a detailed, academically supported body of work, designed to retort the following questions: How and why are semantically sexualised women used as a perceptive marketing stunt’ and ‘what role does the media play in legitimizing gender discrepancies through framing and cultivation strategies? Coaxed by the issue of female objectification in the mass media, the following research was conducted both practically, and theoretically, to overtly annunciate the social and democratic problems associated with advertised female subordination. The relative research involves a semiotic analysis of two sources, coupled with a survey of 40 candidates of varying ages. Furthermore, theoretical mechanisms of media framing and cultivation have been deconstructed throughout this article to uncover the impact of magnified female subordination on the domestic expectations of children and young adults. Through the collection of data, it was able to be conclusively recognized the impact of objectification on social attitudes. Results had shown the many conceptions concerning the female purpose, these include; a woman’s role as a domestic and sexual slave to her male partner. Through the convergence of data, semiotic analysis and academic theory, it may be meticulously understood how female objectification in the mass media is a social complication in the construction of an egalitarian future. ‘Women’s bodies are predominantly valued for its use to others’ Fredrickson & Roberts 1997 ...
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...Introduction In recent years there has been a significant increase in video gaming among young adults. They are a unique form of entertainment that allows it's users to become interactive. According to an 2014 article entitles The Impact of Video Games, 97% of teens play video games, making the video game industry a dominant force in the lives of many adolescents (2014, Norcia). A 2010 survey hosted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that children ages 8-18 devoted 7.5 hours daily to video gaming. Of the children surveyed, less than half stated that their parents had rules about what games they could play. By parents, video games are frowned upon as time wasters. Many experts blame video games for why some children become violent or commit extreme anti-social behavior. On the other hand, there are experts who believe that there are a large amount of benefits from children playing video games. Prevalence Although there has been a large study on violence in video gaming, there has been very little addressing the stereotypical content and its impact on its players. A stereotype is defined as a assumptions that help convey ideas or image of a particular person or thing. In gender roles, compared to female characters, males appear more frequently and engage in achieve leadership roles quicker. In games such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty, there is always a male character. In a 1998 study, women in video games were perceived as sex symbols, prizes, and victims. In Grand Theft...
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