Growing pains: feminisms and intergenerationality in digital games

Abstract

In response to a growing focus on inclusivity in digital games culture, both in mainstream journalism and academia, a range of collaborators have organized for change in this domain under the umbrella of “feminists in games” (FIG). This article explores how moments of tension between women, groups, and communities self-identifying as FIG can productively be understood not solely through rigid conceptualizations of feminist “waves” but also through generational and intersectional differences that can shape approaches related to equality, equity, and diversity within this movement. Drawing on qualitative case studies on two feminist game-making organizations in Canada, we argue that such an understanding of generational approaches to feminism and gender-based action provides a clarifying lens by which to better understand the differences and symmetries that comprise intersections of gender (both cis and trans) with race, age, class, education, and other subject-positions. We also indicate how these moments of intergenerational rupture can be linked to the broader corporate context in and around which FIG activism is situated, before indicating the radical potentialities for feminist praxis, a praxis which we argue is structured more by politics and intersectionality than generation.

Keywords:

• Feminism in games
• feminist action
• intersectionality
• intergenerationality
• community

Notes

1. Lean In is the title of a best-selling book by Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook. “Lean In” feminism has been widely critiqued as promoting neoliberal, White “faux feminism” (see Susan Faludi 2013; bell hooks 2013).

2. Activities, events, and groups that prioritize marginalized groups, such as women, can be subject to derogatory comments related to their implicit exclusion of those who have historically held privileged positions, a sort of reverse-sexism charge. The two community groups we examined have faced surprisingly little critique along these lines, potentially because they have implemented a range of modes for supportive men to contribute to the project, including as mentors, allies, and volunteers.