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Simulated Social Justice? Paradoxical Discourse and Decision-Making Within Educational Video Games Designed For Social Change

Behrmann, Erika M.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1491499376185639

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, Media and Communication.
Video games that aim to create social change are on the rise. Their goal is to foster empathy for social change. However, few scholars have critically examined how players make in-game decisions based on hegemonic discourses that shape their emotions. Drawing on transnational feminist and postcolonial theory, this dissertation considers how location and positionality within a postfeminist, neoliberal landscape shapes and mutes the perceived representations of characters within games aimed for social change. My primary site of inquiry looks at players of the development game: Half the Sky Movement: The Game. Central to the game’s narrative is global women’s empowerment. This study was interested in exploring the discourse of dissent and acquiescence framed around the game’s narrative. More specifically, it problematizes who is rendered (in)visible through narrative, representation, and gameplay. Drawing on the gameplay review method (Kirschner & Williams, 2014), 29 participants journaled about their experiences playing Half the Sky. Participants examined their feelings, thoughts, and decisions throughout gameplay. Then, 10 individuals participated in a follow-up interview in which they played the game Life is Strange. Formation, identification, and meaning-making process of each player’s opinions on women’s empowerment were recorded and analyzed. Comparing both games and the decisions made throughout each game, findings suggest that players drew on emotions rooted in past experiences and development imaginaries rather than creating asymmetrical reciprocity (Young, 1997, p. 49). Ultimately, I argue that this genre of games needs careful consideration of the postfeminist, neoliberal media ecology that shapes both its developers and players.
Radhika Gajjala (Advisor)
Scott Martin (Other)
Sandra Faulkner (Committee Member)
Lara Lengel (Committee Member)
185 p.
Communication; Gender Studies; Mass Media; Pedagogy
feminism; gender; postcolonialism; game studies; media

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Behrmann, E. M. (2017). Simulated Social Justice? Paradoxical Discourse and Decision-Making Within Educational Video Games Designed For Social Change [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1491499376185639

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Behrmann, Erika. Simulated Social Justice? Paradoxical Discourse and Decision-Making Within Educational Video Games Designed For Social Change. 2017. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1491499376185639.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Behrmann, Erika. "Simulated Social Justice? Paradoxical Discourse and Decision-Making Within Educational Video Games Designed For Social Change." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1491499376185639

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1491499376185639
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© 2017, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Simulated Social Justice? Paradoxical Discourse and Decision-Making Within Educational Video Games Designed For Social Change by Erika M. Behrmann is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.