Today's discourse about women and games, then, needs to be seen against a background of a wider culture war against what are seen to be male values. I realize that, consumer culture and biological make-up are important to women and computer games. But then again, it could be that although girls play games, games are not a focal point in their social lives in the same way they seem to be for boys. I think, one reason for this is because game playing is not yet a widely popular activity among young girls (party due to the lack of choice in games that appeal to girls). These girl gamers want to see female characters they can relate to, identify with, and feel proud to play. Also, some of the female computer game characters such as “Lara Croft” is negatively affecting women by the ideals of physical beauty that make them feel pressure to conform to unrealistic and dangerous standards of beauty and resent having to deal with those standards in their games as well!!!! In addition, girl gamers might also resent being left out of games via a lack of female characters and being portrayed as weak or helpless.
Moreover, there are not enough women working in certain roles in the videogame industry which causes occupational segregation, or a gender gap to exist in the process of making games. Games products, indicted as broadly 'boys' toys', are held to reinforce games industry processes that are skewed toward male, rather than female jobs. There appears to be a chicken and egg problem: men write games that men like playing - games with an emphasis on guns and cars. In turn, such products seem to attract men to the industry and its processes more than women. These facts already expose as crude the idea that, somehow, boys simply design games that generate jobs only for boys. Nevertheless, the issue of sexism in the making and use of computer games seems will never end. In the toy industry, manufacturers maintain that, once sexual difference kicks in after three years old, they are only responding to what the child market wants - they are not creating a gendered demand, it is simply out there- people see human nature as the one exception to today's endlessly alleged world of accelerating change..more so to the belief that, some sex differences will always endure, being biologically founded.
Ps: hope all of the above make sense!!!! (Not too organized..but some random thoughts) :-D
Moreover, there are not enough women working in certain roles in the videogame industry which causes occupational segregation, or a gender gap to exist in the process of making games. Games products, indicted as broadly 'boys' toys', are held to reinforce games industry processes that are skewed toward male, rather than female jobs. There appears to be a chicken and egg problem: men write games that men like playing - games with an emphasis on guns and cars. In turn, such products seem to attract men to the industry and its processes more than women. These facts already expose as crude the idea that, somehow, boys simply design games that generate jobs only for boys. Nevertheless, the issue of sexism in the making and use of computer games seems will never end. In the toy industry, manufacturers maintain that, once sexual difference kicks in after three years old, they are only responding to what the child market wants - they are not creating a gendered demand, it is simply out there- people see human nature as the one exception to today's endlessly alleged world of accelerating change..more so to the belief that, some sex differences will always endure, being biologically founded.
Ps: hope all of the above make sense!!!! (Not too organized..but some random thoughts) :-D
posted by Sheba @ 1:26 AM
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