‘Could this really be a place for me?’ Women’s experiences in game jams and video game communities

ABSTRACT

Video game communities, as new emerging creators of contemporary culture, have been identified as paradigmatic gendered contexts and are considered essential for understanding gendered contextual dynamics in contemporary society. This research is based on a multi-sited ethnography study of five game jams as contexts of creation and participation in video game communities, to which was added discussion from eight focus groups and an online forum with 30 female participants. It explores and discusses three analytic emerging dimensions about the perceived gendered dynamics, experiences, interactions and characteristics of these contexts through the women’s perspectives, silences and meanings. In particular, it focuses on the unequal representation and uncovered power dynamics between men and women, the perceived gender stereotypes, and the internalised discourses. Considering the perceptions of devaluing women´s capacity, experience and knowledge, is discussed the impacts on women’s participation. The importance of decoding the video game-gendered contexts is reinforced to create gender-integrated and gender-sensitive environments towards a more diverse and inclusive gaming culture.

KEYWORDS:

• Video game communities
• gendered contexts
• women’s experiences
• game jams

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, and co-funded by the European Social Fund, under the Human Capital Operational Programme (POCH) from Portugal 2020 Programme, within the Doctoral Programme in Education of the University of Porto [grant no. PD/BD/135578/2018]. And by FCT within the scope of the strategic program of CIIE - Center for Research and Intervention in Education at the University of Porto [ref. UID/CED/00167/2019; UIDB/00167/2020].

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [PD/BD/135578/2018].

Notes on contributors

Lucinda Saldanha

Lucinda Saldanha is a doctoral fellow (financed by the Foundation for Science and Technology - Portugal) and a doctoral student in the Doctoral Program in Educational Sciences at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal. Graduated in Psychology and Master’s in Political and Citizenship Psychology (FPCEUP) and Art Studies (FLUC), she worked as a researcher in the project JoSeES - Serious Games in Higher Education: Impacts, Experiences and Expectations, at the Educational Research and Intervention Center (CIIE), as a psychologist in several public schools, and as a social intervention professional, in community projects. Developed publications for young people in active citizenship and citizen art and has experience in participation and leadership in civic and cultural associations.

Sofia Marques da Silva

Sofia Marques da Silva is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto (FPCEUP), Portugal, teaching experience in research methodologies, sociology of education and youth cultures. She is a member of the Center for Research and Intervention in Education (CIIE) of the University of Porto. She has been involved in several European and international projects related to vulnerable people and education, ethnographic and life stories research on youth cultures, gender and education, and children and young people from rural and border regions. She is a member of NESET II, the EC’s DGEAC’s advisory network of experts working on the social dimension of education and training. She is Deputy President of the Portuguese Society of Education Sciences. She has been publishing at national and international levels. She is the Editor-in-chief of the journal Ethnography & Education (Taylor & Francis/Routledge; 2018-2022).

Pedro D. Ferreira

Pedro D. Ferreira is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto and a member of CIIE - Centre for Research and Intervention in Education. He holds a PhD in Psychology and his main research focus is the political participation and the political development of young people and adults. More recently, he has been particularly interested in researching how digital contexts, technologies and media contribute to political subjectivation and political education. He has been a member of various national and international projects, and he has coordinated national and international projects on these topics (JoSeES - ‘Serious Games in Higher Education: Impacts, Experiences and Potential’; 2016-2019, FCT), DISK - Digital Immigrants Survival Kit (2019-2022, ERASMUS+). He is a member of the Portuguese Society of Education Sciences (SPCE).