Gender and Toxic Meritocracy in Competitive Overwatch: Case “Ellie”
Friman, Usva; Ruotsalainen, Maria (2022-03-10)
Lataukset:
Friman, Usva
Ruotsalainen, Maria
Teoksen toimittaja(t)
Ruotsalainen, Maria
Törhönen, Maria
Karhulahti, Veli-Matti
Palgrave Macmillan
10.03.2022
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202203232706
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202203232706
Kuvaus
Peer reviewed
Tiivistelmä
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.
Kokoelmat
- TUNICRIS-julkaisut [16740]