“I play to win!”: Geguri as a (post)feminist icon in esports

Cullen, Amanda L. L.

doi:10.1080/14680777.2018.1498112

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Butler, 1990;1993). Researchers are beginning to elucidate this dynamic process of gender in eSports by examining the various ways in which players carefully negotiate gendered expectations in eSports (Zolides, 2015;Cullen, 2018;Voorhees & Orlando, 2018;Witkowski, 2018). Players' understanding and performance of gender are modified according to new social situations and artefacts, relationships, institutions, and cultural practices (Taylor, 2012).…”

Section: Discussion: a Meta-analysis Of Gendered Power Inequalities In Esportsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The number of women in eSports has increased in recent years, with women proving themselves to be highly capable competitors (Jenson & de Castell, 2018;Cullen, 2018). However, many underlying gender disparity issues are maintained or exacerbated because of spectatorship rivalry overtaking conventional gaming incentives (Jenson & de Castell, 2018).…”

Section: Masculinities In Esportsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, Cullen (2018) demonstrated how the South Korean player Kim 'Geguri' Se-yeonthe first woman to compete in the highest tier of the popular game, Overwatchactively distanced herself from femininity after being hailed a feminist gaming icon following her success in Overwatch. Cullen (2018) suggested that 'Geguri' expressed a post-feminist sensitivity that focuses on individual freedom and inspires women players to pay less attention to systemic inequalitya sensitivity wellaligned with the meritocracy of eSports. Many of the women adhering to post-feminism have experienced a need to refuse feminism to be successful in competitive gaming environments (Cullen, 2018).…”

Section: Negotiating Gendered Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cullen (2018) suggested that 'Geguri' expressed a post-feminist sensitivity that focuses on individual freedom and inspires women players to pay less attention to systemic inequalitya sensitivity wellaligned with the meritocracy of eSports. Many of the women adhering to post-feminism have experienced a need to refuse feminism to be successful in competitive gaming environments (Cullen, 2018).…”

Section: Negotiating Gendered Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gender in eSports research: a literature review

Rogstad

2021

European Journal for Sport and Society

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The popularity of eSports has skyrocketed recently, prompting increasing academic attention. However, reflecting the male-dominated reality of the eSports industry, most research is focused on men. Decades of research on gender in the context of technology and computer gaming present a valid cause for concern regarding how women and other minority individuals in these settings have been and remain oppressed. This article presents a traditional narrative review of how the theoretical concept of hegemonic masculinity is used to understand gendered power inequalities in eSports in the research literature. The review reveals that research that focuses on gender and eSports revolves around three main themes: (1) issues of the construction of masculinity, (2) online harassment, and (3) negotiations of gendered expectations. Based on a discussion of gendered power inequalities within these themes, the review concludes that although eSports and traditional sports are clearly different, they discursively link masculinity, athleticism, and competition very similarly. This has significant implications for women and minority players, which in turn calls for more research on how masculinity is regaining dominance despite the increasing participation of girls and women within eSports.

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Section: Discussion: a Meta-analysis Of Gendered Power Inequalities In Esportsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Masculinities In Esportsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Negotiating Gendered Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Negotiating Gendered Expectationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gender in eSports research: a literature review

Rogstad

2021

European Journal for Sport and Society

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“…In other words, these players are engaging in theorycrafting, a process of reverse engineering that suggests the optimal way for players to understand the game and improve their own play (Paul, 2011; Wenz, 2013). Although theorycrafting as a practice has been commonly associated with massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, the same practices are seen in Overwatch because the game prioritizes skillful, competitive play (Cullen, 2018). Theorycrafting as a practice has been likened to a “scientification of gameplay” (Wenz, 2013: 181), a process whereby players not only improve their gameplay but also increase their understanding of scientific methods.…”

Section: Theorycraftingmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cultural approach to algorithmic bias in games

Trammell

Cullen

2020

New Media & Society

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As algorithms come to govern every aspect of our lives—from bank loans, to job applications, to traffic patterns, to our media consumption patterns—communication research has become increasingly concerned with how we govern algorithms. Building on the methodological frameworks established by critical information researchers like Safiya Noble, Tarleton Gillespie, and Nick Seaver, this essay argues that we do not need to reverse engineer the “black box” to understand its impacts because they can be found through qualitative methodologies instead. This essay rejects the “black box” as an epistemic premise upon which critical algorithmic literacies can be built by using discourse analysis to observe how the unknowable language of the algorithm is deployed discursively within gamer communities to establish and maintain patriarchal power. This essay shows how the “black box” is used by fan communities to advance a patriarchal understanding of what we term paradigms of “balance” and “realism” in game design.

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Gender and Toxic Meritocracy in Competitive Overwatch: Case “Ellie”

Friman

Ruotsalainen

2022

Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch

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This chapter examines toxic meritocracy in relation to gender in competitive Overwatch, asking how gender affects a player’s opportunities for engagement in that scene. It analyzes online news stories and community discussions concerning “Ellie” – a fabricated competitive woman gamer created as a “social experiment” by a man player. The confluences between gender and toxic meritocracy become visible in the assumption there must be an experienced man gamer behind the battletag, the gender-based harassment targeted at Ellie, and the reflections on the importance of setting an example as the first team taking a woman player for Contenders. The analysis shows that despite a strong belief in meritocracy upheld within the community, there are many barriers limiting the participation of those entering competitive Overwatch as women.

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“I play to win!”: Geguri as a (post)feminist icon in esports

Cited by 21 publications

References 4 publications

Gender in eSports research: a literature review

Gender in eSports research: a literature review

A cultural approach to algorithmic bias in games

Gender and Toxic Meritocracy in Competitive Overwatch: Case “Ellie”

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