WOMEN IN VIDEOGAMES & FURTHER FEMINIST THEORY!

 

WOMEN IN VIDEOGAMES & FURTHER FEMINIST THEORY:

Part 1: Reading - Is Female Representation in Video Games Finally Changing?

Read this short Medium feature on whether female representation in videogames is finally changing. Answer the following questions:

How have women traditionally been represented in videogames and what percentage of the video game audience is female?

women are typically either objectified or “damsels in distress” in many major video games, like the iconic Lara Craft to Princess Peach in the Mario franchise. 

42% of the video game demographic is female, indicating that times have changed. Thus, video games cannot survive by solely targeting the male audience.

What recent games have signalled a change in the industry and what qualities do the female protagonists offer?

Recent popular games like Tomb Raider, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, The Last of Us, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and The Walking Dead series have female protagonists, co-protagonists or otherwise important characters. These games were all released within the past 5 years. 

Do you agree with the idea that audiences reject media products if they feel they are misrepresented within them?

It's not uncommon for audiences to reject media products if they feel they are misrepresented or if their identities, beliefs, or values are not accurately portrayed. When people see themselves or their communities depicted in a way that feels inaccurate or stereotypical, it can lead to frustration, disappointment, and a sense of alienation. Authentic representation and respectful portrayal of diverse perspectives and experiences are crucial for media to connect with and resonate with its audience. Media creators need to be mindful of the impact their portrayals can have on different communities and strive for accurate and inclusive representation. 

And now read this short Protocol feature on Anita Sarkeesian's talk to the Game Developers Conference in 2022. This covered the progress in gender representation in videogames and references Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West. Answer the following questions:

How does Sarkeesian say things have changed in the videogames industry in the last 10 years? 

“If I tried to make any of these ‘Tropes’ videos today with only games from the last 10 years, it would be harder — not impossible, but harder,” Sarkeesian said. “There would be fewer examples and the patterns less egregious, and I think that that's saying something.”

Sarkeesian pointed to examples like Dishonored 2, Horizon Zero Dawn and The Last of Us that featured strong female protagonists that didn’t fall into many of the same traps her “Tropes” series highlighted in past games.

Why is gaming still male dominated? Make sure your answer here includes the statistics quoted in the article. 

Sarkeesian joked that the bestselling games when she started her “Tropes” series were Call of Duty, Halo and Madden, and that now the bestselling games of 2021 are … Call of Duty, Halo and Madden. She also said that many developers have skirted opportunities to tell female stories by creating live-service games and games without rich narratives.

Studios at the center of the industry’s current reckoning around sexual harassment and discrimination are largely staffed by men. Women make up just 24% of employees at Activision Blizzard, for instance.

How has the conversation shifted on representation in videogames? 

Sarkeesian pointed out how it’s no longer taboo to voice feminist critiques of video games and industry culture, the very things that made her a prime target for vicious harassment during the early days of Gamergate.

Part 2: Further Feminist Theory: Media Factsheet

Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) or here using your Greenford Google login. Find Media Factsheet #169 Further Feminist Theory, read the whole of the Factsheet and answer the following questions:

What definitions are offered by the factsheet for ‘feminism ‘and ‘patriarchy’?

Feminism is a movement that aims for equality for women – to be treated as equal to men socially, economically, and politically.

Patriarchy (male dominance in society).

Why did bell hooks publish her 1984 book ‘Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center’?

In 1984, hooks published Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center. She had identified a lack of diversity within the feminist movement, and argued that these diverse voices had been marginalised, being put outside the main body of feminism.

What aspects of feminism and oppression are the focus for a lot of bell hooks’s work?

Here hooks argues that feminism’s goal to make all women equal tomen is flawed; not all men are equal to men as a result of oppression, sexuality, ethnicity. hooks used her work to offer a more inclusive feminists theory that advocated for women within a sisterhood to acknowledging and accepting their differences.

What is intersectionality and what does hooks argue regarding this?

The term intersectionality is used to describe overlapping or intersecting

social identities and related systems of oppression, domination or

discrimination.

bell hooks argues that experiences of class, gender, sexuality etc cannot be completely understood if the influences of racialisation are not considered. hooks argues that understanding intersectionality is vital to gaining political and social equality and improving our democraticm system. hook describes intersectionality as something which can create 0and maintain systems of oppression and class domination.

What did Liesbet van Zoonen conclude regarding the relationship between gender roles and the mass media?

Van Zoonen concludes that there is a strong relationship between gender (stereotypes, pornography and ideology) and communication, but it is also the mass media that leads to much of the observable gender identity structures in advertising, film and TV.

Liesbet van Zoonen sees gender as socially constructed. What does this mean and which other media theorist we have studied does this link to?

Van Zoonen has a postmodernist understanding of science as something which is socially constructed and grounded in the social experiences of its practitioners. Scientific feminist research always includes 3 perspectives: the individual, the social and the cultural influences in order to understand the different meanings of media content.

How do feminists view women’s lifestyle magazines in different ways? Which view do you agree with?

For many years, feminists have criticised women’s magazines as commercial sites of exaggerated femininity which serve to pull women into a consumer culture on the promise that the products they buy will alleviate their own bodily insecurities and low self-esteem.

In looking at the history of the colours pink and blue, van Zoonen suggests ideas gender ideas can evolve over time. Which other media theorist we have studied argues things evolve over time and do you agree that gender roles are in a process of constant change? Can you suggest examples to support your view?

James Paul Gee, a media theorist we've studied, argues that media and culture are constantly evolving and changing over time. He believes that video games, like The Sims, can be important tools for learning and expression. As for the constant change of gender roles, I agree with the idea that they are indeed in a process of constant evolution. Society's understanding and expectations of gender have evolved over time, challenging traditional stereotypes and opening up new possibilities for self-expression. For example, we've seen a shift towards more inclusive and diverse representations of gender in media, with characters who break free from traditional gender norms. Additionally, movements advocating for gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights have played a significant role in challenging and reshaping traditional gender roles. These ongoing changes reflect the dynamic nature of gender and the importance of embracing diverse expressions of identity. 

What are the five aspects van Zoonen suggests are significant in determining the influence of the media?

Van Zoonen argues that the influence of the media is dependent on:

• Whether the institution is commercial or public

• The platform upon which they operate (print versus digital media)

• Genre (drama versus news)

• Target audiences

• The place the media text holds within the audiences’ daily lives

What other media theorist can be linked to van Zoonen’s readings of the media?

When it comes to media theorists who can be linked to van Zoonen's readings, one notable figure is Judith Butler. Butler's work in gender theory, particularly her concept of gender performativity, aligns with van Zoonen's exploration of how gender ideas can evolve and be constructed through media representations. Both theorists highlight the role of media in shaping and challenging societal understandings of gender. They emphasize that gender is not fixed or predetermined, but rather a social and cultural construct that can be deconstructed and reimagined. Their perspectives contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding gender and its representation in media. 

Van Zoonen discusses ‘transmission models of communication’. She suggests women are oppressed by the dominant culture and therefore take in representations that do not reflect their view of the world. What other theory and idea (that we have studied recently) can this be linked to?

Van Zoonen's discussion of "transmission models of communication" and the idea that women may internalize representations that don't align with their own views can be linked to the concept of "hegemony" from the Marxist perspective. In Marxist theory, hegemony refers to the dominance of the ruling class in shaping and controlling cultural and ideological norms. This dominance can lead to the internalization of these norms by subordinate groups, such as women, who may adopt and reproduce the dominant culture's representations and ideologies, even if they perpetuate their own oppression. Both van Zoonen's and the Marxist perspective highlight the power dynamics at play in media and the potential for marginalized groups to internalize and reproduce dominant narratives. It's an important lens through which we can analyze the relationship between media, power, and social inequality.

Finally, van Zoonen has built on the work of bell hooks by exploring power and feminism. She suggests that power is not a binary male/female issue but reflects the “multiplicity of relations of subordination”. How does this link to bell hooks?

Van Zoonen has built on the work of bell hooks in exploring power and feminism. Both theorists emphasize that power dynamics extend beyond a simple binary of male/female and that power operates through complex and interconnected systems of subordination. bell hooks, in her influential work, highlights the intersections of race, class, and gender in the analysis of power. She argues that these intersecting systems of oppression contribute to the multiplicity of relations of subordination that van Zoonen refers to.