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Masculinity and Objectification : a narrative study on the representation of masculine identity in video games

Sandberg, Ranchor LU (2015) MRSG31 20142
Human Rights Studies
Abstract
Previous studies on the representation of gender roles video games, and how they are able to affect
the consumers' understanding of their own gender identity, often focus on the portrayal of female
characters and their effect on male and female consumers. This present study deviates from this
common trend and chooses to investigate how expressions of masculine identity are designed
towards the objectification of women, to gain an understanding of how this sort of narrative may
affect male players to adopt a similar attitude. The presupposition is that narrative and graphical
elements of a visual medium has the potential to encourage certain behavioural inclinations in the
person subjected to it. This is supported by a number of... (More)
Previous studies on the representation of gender roles video games, and how they are able to affect
the consumers' understanding of their own gender identity, often focus on the portrayal of female
characters and their effect on male and female consumers. This present study deviates from this
common trend and chooses to investigate how expressions of masculine identity are designed
towards the objectification of women, to gain an understanding of how this sort of narrative may
affect male players to adopt a similar attitude. The presupposition is that narrative and graphical
elements of a visual medium has the potential to encourage certain behavioural inclinations in the
person subjected to it. This is supported by a number of experiments previously conducted by
various scholars, which are presented and accounted for. The investigation itself is performed by
viewing narrative elements of the chosen video game material and analysing its content based on
the theoretical background of masculinity studies and feminist narrative theory, as well as the
definition of objectification presented by philosopher Martha Nussbaum. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Sandberg, Ranchor LU
supervisor
organization
course
MRSG31 20142
year
type
L2 - 2nd term paper (old degree order)
subject
keywords
Masculinity, Objectification, Feminist narratology, Video game, Priming, Gender role
language
English
id
4933240
date added to LUP
2015-02-12 17:22:02
date last changed
2015-02-12 17:22:02
@misc{4933240,
  abstract     = {{Previous studies on the representation of gender roles video games, and how they are able to affect
the consumers' understanding of their own gender identity, often focus on the portrayal of female
characters and their effect on male and female consumers. This present study deviates from this
common trend and chooses to investigate how expressions of masculine identity are designed
towards the objectification of women, to gain an understanding of how this sort of narrative may
affect male players to adopt a similar attitude. The presupposition is that narrative and graphical
elements of a visual medium has the potential to encourage certain behavioural inclinations in the
person subjected to it. This is supported by a number of experiments previously conducted by
various scholars, which are presented and accounted for. The investigation itself is performed by
viewing narrative elements of the chosen video game material and analysing its content based on
the theoretical background of masculinity studies and feminist narrative theory, as well as the
definition of objectification presented by philosopher Martha Nussbaum.}},
  author       = {{Sandberg, Ranchor}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Masculinity and Objectification : a narrative study on the representation of masculine identity in video games}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}