The document discusses research on gamer identity and female gamers. It explores how gender as a binary construct can limit or enable women who identify as gamers. The importance of gender in gamer identity is one of the most important issues in explaining the lack of female gamers, as "gamer" has traditionally been viewed as a male label. Gamer identity also depends on the social environment and acceptance of one's identified group. The author's own research will analyze gender binaries, the creation of a female gamer identity, separation from that identity, and violence within gaming communities. It will use qualitative interviews of female gamers to understand their self-identification and experiences developing a gamer identity.

1. RESEARCHING FEMALE GAMERS:HOW AND WHY
BY: JOSH HENTON
FACULTY ADVISOR: PROF. NICOLAS SIMON
• Beavis points out how the view point of gender as a binary and can
affect women who identify as gamers, “the binary conception of
femininity and masculinity that shapes the intelligibility of the ‘girl’
gamer was both limiting and enabling for these young women.”
(Beavis, and Charles 2007; 7-14).
• The importance of gender when identifying oneself as a gamer is
one of the most important issues when it comes to gamer identity.
This explains the lack of female gamers, it’s not because females
don’t like playing games, it’s because of the labeling of gamer as a
male label.
• Being a gamer is not just based on ones sexuality, gender, or race, it
depends on the social environment one surrounds themselves with,
and the social ramifications of identifying as a gender. “The
attributed gamer identity in the network was positively associated”
(Grove, Courtois, Looy 2015; 350), therefore if one identifies
themselves as a gamer then the group that they associate
themselves with socially is a gamer group. This shows the
importance of gamer identity is not just a personal identification,
but also an external expression of identity.
• The gamer identity also brings together people who share the same
interest in “’LAN’ Cafes as sites where on and off-line practices meet
in wat that complicates binary notions of the gendered gamer”
(Beavis, and Charles 2007; 691). These LANS are usually
‘sanctuaries’ for the male gamer, which are being ‘invaded’ by the
girl gamer. The gaming community is a tight group and whenever
the community feels as if a group, that does not belong is being
brought, the main gamers backlash with language. The exclusivity
of the gamer group is representative of the stereotype of the male,
heterosexual, white gamer as the neutral gamer, and all other types
of gamers are the outliers.
•
• Gamer identity is relatively new, and forward many stereotypes
against gamers. They are presented as being sexist, racist and
homophobic. The gamer identity focuses on the media’s perception
of gamers which present them as White, heterosexual, and male.
Research focusing on sexuality, gender, and race “disprove the
dominant white, heterosexual, male, teen gamer image”. (Shaw
2015; 29).
. So/thus/therby the question of what exactly constitutes a gamer is
important. Shaw points out that “the marking of gender as a salient
category through research and marketing, however, more directly
shaped whether interviewees felt invited to take part in the
conversation” (Shaw 2015; 39). Gender is pointed out to be an issue of
gamer identity only when the variable of gender is brought up.
• My research involves:
• Analyzing aspects of gender as a binary.
• Female’s creation of “female gamer”
identity.
• Female’s separation from “female gamer”.
• Violence with the gamer community.
• Identifiers for gamer identity:
• Hours played
• Genre of video games
• Social time spent talking about games.
• Game adjacent interest(websites about
game)
Male
Gamers
55%
Female
Gamers
45%
Column1
Male Gamers Female Gamers
Shaw
• Qualitative Methods based on Interviews with female games on campus ranging from 18-
25 asking questions about their self and group identify.
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
Series 1
Series 1
Reasons Games are Played
Methodology
Identifiers
Limitations
• One of the major flaws is the specific sample, which is Eastern Connecticut State
University’s students. This will not accurately reflect the entire gamer community, yet the
survey could be used in the future on larger samples.
What do we know about gamers?
Possible Results
Gamers by genderIntroduction
References
• Shaw, Adrienne. 2015. “Do You Identify as a Gamer? Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Gamer
Identity.” New Media & Society 14:28–44
• De Grove, Frederick, Cedric Courtois, and Jan Looy. 2015. “How To Be a Gamer!
Exploring Personal and Social Indicators of Gamer Identity.” Journal of Computer-
Mediated Communication 20:346–61
• Winn, Jillian and Carrie Heeter. 2009. “Gaming, Gender, And Time: Who Makes Time to
Play?” Sex Roles 61:1–13
• Yoon, Gunwoon, Brittany Duff, and Seoungho Ryu. 2013. “Gamers Just Want to Have
Fun? Toward and Understanding of the Onlinegame Acceptance.” Journal of Alied Social
Psychology 43:1814–26
Shaw
) The amount of friends who identify as gamers will increase a girl gamers acceptance as a
gamer
2) If a girl gamer plays more ‘hardcore’ games, she will lose the ‘girl’ identifier.
3) If a girl gamer plays more hours than male gamers, then she will lose the ‘girl’
identifier.
4) If a girl gamer spends more time talking about video games, then she will lose the ‘girl’
identifier.
5) A girl gamer being identified as a gamer, will not share the same negative connotations
Theory and Hypotheses
Research Question
• Qualitative Methods based on Interviews with female games on campus ranging from
18-25 asking questions about their self and group identify.
Population and Sampling
• The population that will be used is college students. This because college students, between age 18-28,
have the most experience with video games, and have the time to play them. The sampling will be from
these college students who play video games, from groups and clubs on campuses that are video game
related.
Analyzing Data
• Use the coded answers in order to analyze the similar experiences that girl gamers experience when
developing the gamer identity.