Feminist SF Wiki - User contributions [en]

Video Game Papers (WisCon 31)

2007-06-03T04:28:00Z

124.110.181.79:

* [[Video Game Papers (WisCon 31)|101 Playing for Self-Esteem: How Video Games Represent Females And Affect Female Self-Esteem/Idealizing Fantasy Bodies in Video Games]]

Academic Papers•Conference Room 3• Saturday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

1) As females have developed a growing interest in video games, research needs to be done to study the effect these games can have on their self-esteem. The few journals which did mention concerns in the area of self-esteem had varied conclusions. My original hypothesis stated video games have a positive effect on self-esteem, which would give female gamers a higher sense of self over female non-gamers. Results showed a difference in general self-image; non-gamers had a higher self-image than gamers. No difference was found in the three areas of self-esteem: performance, social, or physical; however, gamers felt a relationship would not give them higher self-esteem in those three areas. This shows how, although gamers have a low self-esteem, a relationship may not help make them feel confident, and further research should work to determine what catalyst would give them higher self-esteem.

2) Through fantasy, anything—no matter how far-fetched—can become real. And yet, despite the elf ears or red skin, fantasy characters in video games still manage more often than not to fit into the idealized body types for humans. This paper explores the rationale behind making fantasy creatures conform to narrow standards of beauty/strength in games such as World of Warcraft, and examines what this may imply for our conception of fantasy as a genre.

Jason Nicholas Boggs, [[Andrea Diane Rubenstein]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.theirisnetwork.org/archives/12 Idealizing Fantasy Bodies] [paper]

=== Responses to Idealizing Fantasy Bodies ===
* [http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2007/05/sexual_dimorphi.html Sexual Dimorphism in World of Warcraft]
* [http://www.chrononaut.org/log/?p=145 A short Gothick was trouble, a fat Gothick homicidal]
* [http://www.mightyponygirl.com/feminist_gamers/?p=116 Idealizing Fantasy Bodies: Whose ideal?]

[[Category:WisCon 31 papers]]

Andrea Diane Rubenstein

2007-06-03T04:25:19Z

124.110.181.79: New page: Andrea Rubenstein was born on July 19, 1982 in Miami, Florida. She is an avid gamer and staunch feminist with a pointed interest in science fiction & fantasy. Andrea received her Bachelor ...

Andrea Rubenstein was born on July 19, 1982 in Miami, Florida. She is an avid gamer and staunch feminist with a pointed interest in science fiction & fantasy. Andrea received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver Canada and her academic interests include gender in video games, anti-oppression studies, and analysis of popular culture.

She is most widely known for blogging on the intersections of feminism and popular culture.

== External links ==
=== Blogs ===
* [http://blog.shrub.com The Official Shrub.com Blog] [Mutli-issue feminist blog]
* [http://jadereporting.theirisnetwork.org Jade Reporting] [Gender in games linkblog]

=== Other Projects ===
* [http://www.theirisnetwork.org Iris Gaming Network] [Woman/feminist-oriented gaming community]
* [http://cerise.theirisnetwork.org Cerise] [Feminist gaming magazine]

[[Category:Bloggers]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Video Game Papers (WisCon 31)

2007-06-02T22:02:39Z

124.110.181.79: /* Responses to Idealizing Fantasy Bodies */

* [[Video Game Papers (WisCon 31)|101 Playing for Self-Esteem: How Video Games Represent Females And Affect Female Self-Esteem/Idealizing Fantasy Bodies in Video Games]]

Academic Papers•Conference Room 3• Saturday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

1) As females have developed a growing interest in video games, research needs to be done to study the effect these games can have on their self-esteem. The few journals which did mention concerns in the area of self-esteem had varied conclusions. My original hypothesis stated video games have a positive effect on self-esteem, which would give female gamers a higher sense of self over female non-gamers. Results showed a difference in general self-image; non-gamers had a higher self-image than gamers. No difference was found in the three areas of self-esteem: performance, social, or physical; however, gamers felt a relationship would not give them higher self-esteem in those three areas. This shows how, although gamers have a low self-esteem, a relationship may not help make them feel confident, and further research should work to determine what catalyst would give them higher self-esteem.

2) Through fantasy, anything—no matter how far-fetched—can become real. And yet, despite the elf ears or red skin, fantasy characters in video games still manage more often than not to fit into the idealized body types for humans. This paper explores the rationale behind making fantasy creatures conform to narrow standards of beauty/strength in games such as World of Warcraft, and examines what this may imply for our conception of fantasy as a genre.

Jason Nicholas Boggs, Andrea Diane Rubenstein

== External links ==
* [http://www.theirisnetwork.org/archives/12 Idealizing Fantasy Bodies] [paper]

=== Responses to Idealizing Fantasy Bodies ===
* [http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2007/05/sexual_dimorphi.html Sexual Dimorphism in World of Warcraft]
* [http://www.chrononaut.org/log/?p=145 A short Gothick was trouble, a fat Gothick homicidal]
* [http://www.mightyponygirl.com/feminist_gamers/?p=116 Idealizing Fantasy Bodies: Whose ideal?]

[[Category:WisCon 31 papers]]

Video Game Papers (WisCon 31)

2007-06-02T22:01:50Z

124.110.181.79: /* External links */

* [[Video Game Papers (WisCon 31)|101 Playing for Self-Esteem: How Video Games Represent Females And Affect Female Self-Esteem/Idealizing Fantasy Bodies in Video Games]]

Academic Papers•Conference Room 3• Saturday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

1) As females have developed a growing interest in video games, research needs to be done to study the effect these games can have on their self-esteem. The few journals which did mention concerns in the area of self-esteem had varied conclusions. My original hypothesis stated video games have a positive effect on self-esteem, which would give female gamers a higher sense of self over female non-gamers. Results showed a difference in general self-image; non-gamers had a higher self-image than gamers. No difference was found in the three areas of self-esteem: performance, social, or physical; however, gamers felt a relationship would not give them higher self-esteem in those three areas. This shows how, although gamers have a low self-esteem, a relationship may not help make them feel confident, and further research should work to determine what catalyst would give them higher self-esteem.

2) Through fantasy, anything—no matter how far-fetched—can become real. And yet, despite the elf ears or red skin, fantasy characters in video games still manage more often than not to fit into the idealized body types for humans. This paper explores the rationale behind making fantasy creatures conform to narrow standards of beauty/strength in games such as World of Warcraft, and examines what this may imply for our conception of fantasy as a genre.

Jason Nicholas Boggs, Andrea Diane Rubenstein

== External links ==
* [http://www.theirisnetwork.org/archives/12 Idealizing Fantasy Bodies] [paper]

=== Responses to Idealizing Fantasy Bodies ===
* [http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2007/05/sexual_dimorphi.html Sexual Dimorphism in World of Warcraft]
* [http://www.chrononaut.org/log/?p=145 A short Gothick was trouble, a fat Gothick homicidal]
* [http://www.mightyponygirl.com/feminist_gamers/?p=116 ]

[[Category:WisCon 31 papers]]

Video Game Papers (WisCon 31)

2007-05-31T11:28:35Z

124.110.181.79:

* [[Video Game Papers (WisCon 31)|101 Playing for Self-Esteem: How Video Games Represent Females And Affect Female Self-Esteem/Idealizing Fantasy Bodies in Video Games]]

Academic Papers•Conference Room 3• Saturday, 4:00-5:15 p.m.

1) As females have developed a growing interest in video games, research needs to be done to study the effect these games can have on their self-esteem. The few journals which did mention concerns in the area of self-esteem had varied conclusions. My original hypothesis stated video games have a positive effect on self-esteem, which would give female gamers a higher sense of self over female non-gamers. Results showed a difference in general self-image; non-gamers had a higher self-image than gamers. No difference was found in the three areas of self-esteem: performance, social, or physical; however, gamers felt a relationship would not give them higher self-esteem in those three areas. This shows how, although gamers have a low self-esteem, a relationship may not help make them feel confident, and further research should work to determine what catalyst would give them higher self-esteem.

2) Through fantasy, anything—no matter how far-fetched—can become real. And yet, despite the elf ears or red skin, fantasy characters in video games still manage more often than not to fit into the idealized body types for humans. This paper explores the rationale behind making fantasy creatures conform to narrow standards of beauty/strength in games such as World of Warcraft, and examines what this may imply for our conception of fantasy as a genre.

Jason Nicholas Boggs, Andrea Diane Rubenstein

== External links ==
* [http://www.theirisnetwork.org/archives/12 Idealizing Fantasy Bodies]

[[Category:WisCon 31 papers]]