DMS 548SEM - Games, Gender and Society

Games, Gender And Culture provides a comprehensive investigation of the emerging field of Games Studies, the critical analysis of games and interactive environments made possible by the computer. We will address different theoretical perspectives that view games and gaming as historical, social, cultural. aesthetic, technical, performative, and cognitive phenomenon. Examines how video games encompass an increasingly diverse set of practices, populations, and locations from fantasy football to multi-player medieval fantasy, from simulations of real life to alternate realities, from fanatics to activists, from nightclubs to competitive arenas to public streets to the classroom; from consoles to mobile phones, to large screen projections. In particular, we will critically examine how games and gaming are culturally constructed as gendered objects and activities that are exclusive for many along lines of gender, sexuality, race, disability, and class. Class discussions will often highlight identity, community, politics, power, culture, and social justice in games. Students complete course-long research and game projects with regular feedback from peers and the instructor.

Credits: 3