Gendered identities at play: Case studies of two women playing morrowind

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article explores issues of gender and video gaming, typically perceived as a masculine practice, through case studies of two adult women gamers. Drawing on a conception of identities in practice, the analyses show that dominant assumptions about women's preferences and orientations toward video gaming do not reflect the diverse ways that women might make meaning of, respond to, and take pleasure in such games. To better understand women's and men's orientations toward gaming, the article argues for the need to take into account the complexity of people's identities, not just gender alone but its interplay with and enactment in combination with personal histories and cultural factors that play out differently in individuals' lives. This understanding, in turn, leads to insights into how video games may serve as spaces for the enactment of new forms of gendered identities.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)23-48
Number of pages26
JournalGames and Culture
Volume2
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Gender
  • Identity
  • Role-playing
  • Women

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cultural Studies
  • Communication
  • Anthropology
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Applied Psychology
  • Human-Computer Interaction

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