Women at Play Essay - 1908 Words

Women are playing more video games than ever before. Traditionally, video games were considered to be a predominantly male leisure activity1,2. However, with the introduction of new technologies, designs, platforms and distribution channels, video games have become more accessible and enjoyable for audiences beyond the traditional ‘teenage male’ demographic 1. This paper examines both the historic and current research on gender in gaming and the emerging trends within the gaming industry. Recent studies show that woman, in addition to the general public are gaming in ever increasing numbers. A 2011 Entertainment Software Association (ESA) survey shows that currently 42% of all game players are female3. Although this rise strongly†¦show more content†¦By relying heavily on older findings and methods, misconceptions about female gamers have long been able to prevail within the field. Modern approaches are breaking away from traditional studies which looked predominantly at the mechanical differences between men and women, and are instead focussing their attention on accessibility and cultural differences. Traditionally, the image and portrayal of women in video games is one of the most popular issues to examine. Regardless of being sexually-oriented or not, most video games feature hyper-sexualised female characters6. Though applicable to the wider media at large, many studies support the notion that sexually themed video games and their subsequent display of female objectification increases the likelihood for males to behave inappropriate toward woman in social situations 6,7. However, the negative effects of hyper-sexualisation and gender stereotyping are not limited to men. Research on women exposed to similar game characters and stereotypes concluded that women exposed these characters were more likely to demonstrate a negative self-concept than women exposed to non-sexualized characters8. Although there has been a significant rise in the amount of strong/ independent female characters in the past decade (a trend aptly named the â€Å"Lara Phenomenon†9 after the Lara Croft character popularized by the ‘Tomb Raider’ game series) there has not been a significantShow MoreRelatedWomen Play A Special Role1589 Words   |  7 PagesI believe that â€Å"women play a special role in religious life†. Firstly, the dictionary definition of a ‘role’ is ‘the function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation’. So a ‘special role’ in the context of the question is an important part played by women in religious life. This is very true in relation to Christianity and Judaism. In Christianity I will look at important women saints in the religion and the leadership roles that women can play in the church. In JudaismRead MoreThe Significance of Women in the Play Oedipus Essay751 Words   |  4 Pagessaid Oedipus, you include women too. Everyone knows that. She said, Thats what you think. These lines, from the ending of Muriel Rukheysers poem On Oedipus the King, Myth, comment on the significance of women both in the play and in society. Though the character of Oedipus suggests that women are equal, the issue of the true role of women is brought up in the poem, and is raised in Sophocles play. The female who plays the largest role in Sophocles play is Oedipus wife and motherRead MoreThe Women In â€Å"Trifles†. The Play â€Å"Trifles† , Written By1658 Words   |  7 PagesThe Women In â€Å"Trifles† The play â€Å"Trifles† , written by Susan Glaspell allows us to experience the gender divide in the early nineteen hundreds. While the play title gives the reader the idea that the story will be trivial or unimportant, it is anything but. The play focuses on the fact that women are considered â€Å"other† or an â€Å"object† (Beauvoir, 8). This is the complete opposite of men who are considered the â€Å"subject†, which holds immense amount of values. These two definitions are polar oppositesRead MoreReligion Is The Involvement Of Women And The Roles That They Play1734 Words   |  7 Pagesbe more apparent. One subject that seems to be underrepresented in the study of religion is the involvement of women and the roles that they play. â€Å"†¦there is much value in examining how women are perceived and treated in different traditions† (Anderson, xii). When analyzing the historical aspect of religion, there is a common theme of men being more prevalent in the religion than women. An example of this can be found in Judaism. This religion, along with a large variety of others, uses a maleRead MoreWomen in William Shakespeare’s Plays Essay2376 Words   |  10 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Shakespeare and the members of the Elizabethan era would be appalled at the freedoms women experience today.   The docility of Elizabethan women is almost a forgotten way of life. What we see throughout Shakespeare’s plays is an insight into the female character as perceived by Elizabethan culture.   Shakespeare’s female characters reflect the Elizabethan era’s image of women; they were to be virtuous and obedient and those that were not were portrayed as undesirable and even evil. Read MoreShakespeares Treatment of Women in His Plays Essay1028 Words   |  5 Pagesand other readers of Shakespeares plays argue that he treats women with disrespect. However, he actually treats them with a great amount of respect. Shakespeare has been criticized by many modern writers for his portrayal of women. The critics and other readers of Shakespearean plays think that he treats women badly for a few reasons, one being that most of the women in his plays die a tragic death. One example is in the play, Julius Caesar. In this specific play, Portia who is Julius Caesars wifeRead MoreThe Role Of Women Throughout The Play A Major Theme 1510 Words   |  7 PagesThe role of women within the plays of Euripides in a major theme. In most of the plays women are seen as week and unable to fend for themselves. It is plausible to say that Euripides would identify as the modern term of a feminist. These women depicted have unequal status to men and are submissive. In the case of Medea, these stereotypical roles of women are challenged. Because Jason betrays Medea, she begins wandering about the different treatment of man and woman. Medea ignores these roles thatRead More Portrayal of Women in William Shakespeares Plays Essay3560 Words   |  15 PagesWilliam Shakespeares characterization of women varies immensely from one comedy to another. In his works, Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, and Much Ado About Nothing, he portrays both dominant and submissive women. Ultimately, Shakespeare examines the complexity of women by displaying the vast array of attitudes, emotions, and their treatment and reaction to men as well as refuting the typical subservient wife role. In Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew, the difficultiesRead MoreThe Role Of Women During The Play A Doll House 2110 Words   |  9 Pagesinterpretation essay The role of women in two plays studied In this essay my aim is to describe the role of women and the attitude towards them in two plays, very different between them, that we have studied during the module. The first play where there is a main focus on women’s role is, undoubtedly, A Doll House, written in 1879 by the Norwegian author Henrik Ibsen. This play was at the centre of many critics and debates, it ends with the main character. Ibsen with this play express the concept that forRead MoreWomen s Foreign And Domestic Policies Play894 Words   |  4 Pages What role did China’s foreign and domestic policies play in the 1899 Boxer Rebellion? The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, was a movement created by nationalist Chinese men in response to what they perceived to be the westernization of their country by European forces and influences (â€Å"Boxer Rebellion†). Most of the people involved were very young men who had been inducted into a society known as the Yihequan, or Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists, to fight against foreign