Visual Construction of Gender Stereotypes in Video Games

Student: Korchagina Kseniia

Supervisor: Ilya Inishev

Educational Programme: Visual Culture (Master)

Year of Graduation: 2020

Interactivity is an imperative option for participation in video games as opposed to movies or literature. The player involved in the process is not only familiar with the lore of the video game, but also is able to influence the course of events. The possibility of participation involves the choice of a character. It allows users to broadcast various cultural phenomena including gender stereotypes. In this study, we will analyze the main methods that developers use to visually construct stereotypes. We will also explore various external factors, such as: economic and social, belonging to a particular genre, as well as features of the game mechanics that contribute to obtaining gender models that players use as a result and implement in their daily practice.

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