From Ideology to Identity: An Examination of Disability Stereotyping within Video Games
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Drama
Abstract
Video games have become a vastly popular contemporary medium with a majority able-bodied player base and able-bodied led workforce. Consequentially, it has become a challenging platform for those who may be considered as 'peripheral subjects', including people with disabilities. Research indicates that categories or stereotypes of disability have circulated within alternate mediums such as books, films and theatre to generate stock disabled characters.
This thesis examines whether these disabled categories are present within video game characters and how these stereotypes may affect the disabled gaming community both within gaming and within wider societal power structures. With the foundation of historical disability theory, this thesis examines the origins of noted disabled stereotypes such as the monster, pitiable, and comedic relief. It explores how these stereotypes may impact the formation of disabled identity with consideration of freakism, masking and 'performing'/ 'being' disabled. It also explores how these formed disabled identities interact with the panopticon/power structures and how these power shifts and relationships between disabled/able-bodied persons can generate internalized and externalised gazes. It explores the potential of a disabled gaze and how this gaze could re-examine disabled stereotypes from the position of 'peripheral subject' rather than through the power of the centre.
This thesis will also examine posthumanism and transhumanism as core themes within video games. It will examine how purposeful disablement and cybernetic enhancement is implemented as game mechanic and the potential effects this may have upon disability and disabled identity. It examines lived experiences of cyborg and how cybernetic enhancement could destabilise the structure of the panopticon through the introduction of categories of super cripple and super able-bodied.
Based upon a series of gaming sessions and prior disabled theory research a series of semi-structured interviews will be conducted with a group of disabled gaming participants. The aim of these interviews is to explore how the researched categories of disabled characters impact the disabled player, whether these categories have been noted by the disabled player previously and how the disabled player believes these stereotypes are impacting wider understandings of disability. Additionally, these semi-structured interviews will examine how games are made accessible for the disabled participants. It will explore preferred controllers, accessible game features, and which games are accidentally accessible to disabled players. These interviews will allow for a deeper understanding of the impacts of disability stereotyping and representations within this popular medium. These interviews will also generate a wish-list of accessibility features, characters, and representations by disabled players for a game which is accurate and accessible.
This thesis examines whether these disabled categories are present within video game characters and how these stereotypes may affect the disabled gaming community both within gaming and within wider societal power structures. With the foundation of historical disability theory, this thesis examines the origins of noted disabled stereotypes such as the monster, pitiable, and comedic relief. It explores how these stereotypes may impact the formation of disabled identity with consideration of freakism, masking and 'performing'/ 'being' disabled. It also explores how these formed disabled identities interact with the panopticon/power structures and how these power shifts and relationships between disabled/able-bodied persons can generate internalized and externalised gazes. It explores the potential of a disabled gaze and how this gaze could re-examine disabled stereotypes from the position of 'peripheral subject' rather than through the power of the centre.
This thesis will also examine posthumanism and transhumanism as core themes within video games. It will examine how purposeful disablement and cybernetic enhancement is implemented as game mechanic and the potential effects this may have upon disability and disabled identity. It examines lived experiences of cyborg and how cybernetic enhancement could destabilise the structure of the panopticon through the introduction of categories of super cripple and super able-bodied.
Based upon a series of gaming sessions and prior disabled theory research a series of semi-structured interviews will be conducted with a group of disabled gaming participants. The aim of these interviews is to explore how the researched categories of disabled characters impact the disabled player, whether these categories have been noted by the disabled player previously and how the disabled player believes these stereotypes are impacting wider understandings of disability. Additionally, these semi-structured interviews will examine how games are made accessible for the disabled participants. It will explore preferred controllers, accessible game features, and which games are accidentally accessible to disabled players. These interviews will allow for a deeper understanding of the impacts of disability stereotyping and representations within this popular medium. These interviews will also generate a wish-list of accessibility features, characters, and representations by disabled players for a game which is accurate and accessible.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Samantha Sully (Student) |