S. FRANCIS HARRY ROY, Dr. S. NAGARATHINAM

VIDEO GAMES AND GENDER DISPARITY

• Identity as Mass Media• Portrayal of females• Impact

VIDEO GAMES

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

• Misrepresentation of women in video games• Misogynistic portrayal• Less number of female protagonists/playable characters in Video Games

• Portrayal of women as lesser sex

NEED FOR THE STUDY

• Emergence of Video Games as a mass medium• Video Games have become an integral part of entertainment.

• The medium is capable to provoke emotional responses

• Misrepresentation of women in such a medium might have long term effects on society

METHODOLOGY

• Content Analysis• In-depth Interview

PARAMETERS FOR SAMPLE

• Young female students/scholars who regularly spend about 10 hours gaming per week

• Must have played games at least as contemporary as Far Cry 3 and as old as Super Mario Bros.

THEORIES IDENTIFIED IN THE STUDY

• Hegemonic Masculinity theory• Cultivation Theory

DAMSEL IN DISTRESSSuper Mario Bros.

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

Grand Theft Auto : Liberty City's of sex workers

SIDE KICK/ HELPERCitra : Far Cry 3

ANTAGONISTArkham Asylum

PROTAGONISTLara Croft : Tomb Raider

FINDINGS

• Feature mostly male protagonists due to the high male gaming base

• Most people are unaware of ESRB(Entertainment Software Rating Board)

• Games feature sexually provocative characters or in-game strip clubs to meet the expectations of the adult audience

• The idea of male dominance, misogyny is strengthened by such games

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Portrayal of women in independent roles should be encouraged

• Portrayal of Gender Sensitive roles

• Active participation of women in gaming

• Problems regarding portrayals should be represented in appropriate forums

SCOPE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

• Sexualized portrayal of gamer girls• Women and online gaming• hyper masculinity and women protagonists in games

• Homophobia and video games

"Women are now able to become soldiers on the front line for real, yet it seems impossible to get them into virtual warfare."

Rhianna Pratchett