Women in Videogames and feminist theories

 Women and videogames: blog tasks

Part 1: Background reading on Gamergate

Read this Guardian article on Gamergate 10 years on. Answer the following questions:

1) What was Gamergate? 

Gamergate was a major online harassment campaign in 2014 targeting women and marginalized groups in the gaming industry. It began under the guise of concerns about "ethics in gaming journalism" but evolved into coordinated attacks on individuals, especially female game developers, journalists, and critics. The movement symbolised broader cultural battles about inclusion, diversity, and progressivism in gaming.

2) What is the recent controversy surrounding narrative design studio Sweet Baby Inc? 

Sweet Baby Inc., a narrative design studio, has faced backlash from a faction of gamers accusing it of "forcing diversity" in video games. Critics claim the studio secretly alters characters to conform to a so-called "woke" agenda. This harassment, fueled by conspiracy theories and social media campaigns, echoes the tactics of Gamergate a decade ago​

3) What does the article conclude regarding diversity in videogames?

The article emphasises that diversity in gaming is driven by the evolving demographics of players and creators, not coercion. It argues that inclusion enriches storytelling and broadens creative horizons, benefiting the industry overall. Despite persistent pushback, progress toward greater representation in videogames continues.

Part 2: Further Feminist Theory: Media Factsheet1

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:

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

Feminism: A movement aiming for equality for women in social, economic, and political spheres. It does not promote hatred of men or suggest women's superiority, but highlights the oppressive nature of patriarchy.

Patriarchy: Male dominance in society that limits women's opportunities to achieve equal treatment and benefits as men.                                       

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

• Hooks identified a lack of diversity within the feminist movement and argued that diverse voices, particularly those of non-white and working-class women, had been marginalised.

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

• Hooks focuses on the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality, challenging the feminist tendency to treat women as a homogenous group. She emphasises the importance of male involvement in achieving gender equality and advocates for inclusivity within feminism.

4) What is intersectionality and what does hooks argue regarding this?

• Intersectionality: The overlapping or intersecting social identities and systems of oppression, domination, or discrimination that create a unique whole identity.
• hooks argues that intersectionality is crucial for understanding how various forms of oppression interact and must be considered to achieve social and political equality.

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

• Van Zoonen concluded that gender roles are heavily influenced by mass media, which shapes societal gender identity structures through cultural and symbolic representations.

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

• Socially constructed gender: Gender is not fixed or inherent but is an ongoing process influenced by societal, cultural, and historical contexts. This links to Judith Butler’s idea that gender is performative and shaped by societal norms and discourse.

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

• Some feminists criticize these magazines as commercial tools promoting exaggerated femininity that pressures women into consumerism. Others acknowledge that women may derive pleasure from them.
• Your view: [Provide your personal perspective here, e.g., "I agree that these magazines can perpetuate harmful stereotypes, but they can also offer women a platform for self-expression."]

8) 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?

• Gender ideas evolve over time; e.g., pink was once a color for men. This aligns with Roland Barthes’s concept that cultural meanings and signs evolve over time.
• Examples: The shift toward inclusive toys (e.g., LEGO creating gender-neutral sets) shows how gender roles are constantly changing.

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

1. Whether the media is commercial or public.
2. The platform (print vs. digital).
3. Genre (e.g., drama vs. news).
4. Target audience.
5. The role of media in audiences’ daily lives.

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

• Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model, which examines how media messages are interpreted and negotiated by audiences.

11) 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?

• Transmission models suggest women internalize representations that do not reflect their perspectives. This links to Stuart Hall’s idea of hegemonic readings, where dominant ideologies influence how media is consumed.

12) 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?

Both argue that power is multifaceted and not just a male/female binary. Van Zoonen builds on hooks by exploring how power relations intersect with race, class, and other identities, emphasising the complexity of oppression.