(Re)construction of gender identities by young people in video game communities
Main Article Content
Abstract
(analytical)
Among the different digital leisure platforms, video games are one of the primary entertainment environments for young people. Video games generate new ways of socializing in digital communities through which gender identities are (re)constructed. This article presents the results of a qualitative study carried out using focus groups with Generation Z university students in Spain. The data analysis identified the different forms of socializing between genders that occur in video game communities, specifically how players choose characters/skins to construct identities that are either different to their offline gender or reproduce it. The persistence of stereotypes assigned to female characters, which is visible in the collected data, was notable. Finally, participants highlighted the possibility of these platforms becoming new, more plural and inclusive social spaces.
Keywords: Video games; stereotypes; identities; communities.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
-
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
-
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
-
ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
References
Alabau-Tejada, N., García-Ull, J., & Gómez-Sota, F. (2022). Select player: deefinición del perfil medio gamer del gen Z. En J. Sierra-Sánchez (ed.), Los videojuegos en la sociedad de la información (pp. 281-293). McGraw-Hill.
Alba, G. (2012). ¿Pegados a la pantalla?: videojuegos en la vida cotidiana de niños, niñas y jóvenes de Bogotá. Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Niñez y Juventud, 8(1, separata), 65-77.
Anderson, S. L., & Johnson, M. (2021). Gamer identities of video game live streamers with disabilities. Information, Communication & Society, 25(13), 1900-1915. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118x.2021.1907433
Asociación Española de Videojuegos. (2022). La industria del videojuego en España: Anuario 2022. http://www.aevi.org.es/web/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/AEVI_Anuario-2022- DIGITAL.pdf
Barba, M., & Valenzuela, I. (2024, 15 de enero). Entender hoy a la generación Z es vislumbrar un futuro radicalmente diferente. Telefónica. https://bit.ly/4fWFEmB
Barr, M., & Copeland-Stewart, A. (2021). Playing video games during the COVID-19 pandemic and effects on players’ well-Being. Games and Culture, 17(1), 122-139. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120211017036
Bottaro, R., & Faraci, P. (2022). The use of social networking sites and its impact on adolescents’ emotional well-being: A scoping review. Current Addiction Reports, 9(4), 518-539. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-022-00445-4
Calabrese, L., Cetratelli, C., Orellana, A., & Quirno, S. (2020). Género y videojuegos: cultura gamer en foco. Quaderns d’Animació i Educació Social, (33), 1-21.
Calderón, D., & Gómez, A. (2022). Consumir, crear, jugar: panorámica del ocio digital de la juventud. Centro Reina Sofía sobre Adolescencia y Juventud; Fundación FAD Juventud. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6338126
Caro, C., & Marambio-Tapia, A. (2023). Off/On: la construcción de la identidad virtual a través de la socialización por videojuegos y la producción de nuevas relaciones sociales en los márgenes de lo virtual y lo no virtual. Plural, 30(1), 149-168. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2176-8099.pcso.2023.205659
Cordero, R., Silva, A., Pérez, J., & Gómez, F. (2021). El Challenge Based Research (CBR) como reto pedagógico: la investigación en criminología llevada a la docencia. Aula Magna.
De lucas, A., & Ortí, A. (1995). Génesis y desarrollo de la práctica del grupo de discusión: fundamentación metodológica de la investigación social cualitativa. Investigación y Marketing, (47), 6-9.
Generacciona. (2022). Generación Z. Generacciona. https://generacciona.org/generaciones/generacion-z
Giddens, A., & Sutton, P. W. (2022). Sociología. Alianza Editorial.
Gómez, M. A., & Calderón, D. (2023). Videojuegos y jóvenes: lugares, experiencias y tensiones. Centro Reina Sofía de FAD Juventud. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7970990
González-Sancho, R., & Obando-Reyes, F. (2023). Mujeres y videojuegos: ¿un mundo de trabajo en transformación? Repertorio Americano, (31), 169-185. https://doi.org/ndsj
Kelly, D., Easpaig, B., & Castillo, P. (2022). «You game like a girl»: Perceptions of gender and competence in gaming. Games and Culture, 18(1), 62-78. https://doi.org/ndsk
Kuss, D. J., Kristensen, A. M., Williams, A. J., & López-Fernández, O. (2022). To be or not to be a female gamer: A qualitative exploration of female gamer identity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1169. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031169
Leonhardt, M., & Overå, S. (2021). Are there differences in video gaming and use of social media among boys and Girls?—A mixed methods approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 6085. https://doi.org/gkdw4t
Mendoza, K., & Morgade, M. (2021). Aproximación cualitativa y de género a los juegos de azar en los adolescentes y jóvenes. Revista Española de Drogodependencias, 46(4), 88-98. https://doi.org/10.54108/red.2021.46.04.005
Mouret, S. G. (2016). Los auténticos nativos digitales: ¿estamos preparados para la gene ración Z?: «la generación Z desde la generación Z». Revista de Estudios de Juventud, (114), 157-170.
Paredes, G. (2018). Análisis de la imagen de la mujer transmitida en las actuales carátulas de videojuegos. Ámbitos. Revista Internacional de Comunicación, (40), 1-10.
Ramello, P., & Merino, F. (2019). Reflexiones y lineamientos para una investigación ética en Ciencias Sociales [cuaderno de trabajo n.º 52]. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
Rennick, S., Clinton, M., Ioannidou, E., Oh, L., Clooney, C., Healy, E., & Roberts, S. (2023). Gender bias in video game dialogue. Royal Society Open Science, 10(5). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.221095
Ruberg, B. (2020). The queer games avant-garde: How LGBTQ game makers are reimagining the medium of video games. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/ndsm
Shan, H., & Pi, W. (2023). Mitigating panic buying behavior in the epidemic: An evolutionary game perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 73, 103364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103364
Vilasís-Pamos, J., & Pires, F. (2021). How do teens define what it means to be a gamer?: Mapping teens’ video game practices and cultural imaginaries from a gender and sociocultural perspective. Information, Communication & Society, 25(12), 1735-1751. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118x.2021.1883705
Wang, B., Gao, Z., & Shidujaman, M. (2023). Meaningful place: A phenomenological approach to the design of spatial experience in open-world games. Games and Culture, 19(5), 11-33. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120231171290
Wong, M. Y., Chung, P.-K., Ou, K., & Leung, K.-N. (2021). Perception of Hong Kong teenagers and young adults on esports participation: A qualitative study using theory of planned behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 25-43. https://doi.org/ndsp