2026-09-26T03:15:34Zhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/server/oai/requestoai:mro.massey.ac.nz:10179/147782025-11-11T14:18:58Zcom_10179_294col_10179_296
DSpace at Massey University
author
Minson, Moana
2019-07-15T02:50:40Z
2019-07-15T02:50:40Z
2018
http://hdl.handle.net/10179/14778
Q112937553
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112937553
Can video games be used to break down sexist attitudes and behaviours in their own community? This research investigated the intersection between narratives being able to inform users, games as highly immersive narrative sites, and how to deliberately design a game narrative with the goal of informing and building empathy in players about a social problem. This project investigated the question through several kinds of textual and field-work based research methods. First: a reflexive, auto-ethnographic exploration of the researcher’s own position in the community, plus a review of current literature, and game-player interviews were combined to establish a contextual knowledge base about negative gendered concepts and attitudes in gaming. These elements were then used to inform the construction of a game narrative which sought to, while being a great game, expose sexist attitudes and behaviours, challenge gendered stereotypes, and stimulate empathy and understanding towards the ‘other’. A portion of this narrative was turned into a playable game which was used to perform player testing, which revealed elements of how games create affect in users. These research stages were then combined to build a set of guidelines for use by other game developers; guidelines designed to suggest effective ways to shape game narratives which seek to break down sexist attitudes and behaviours within the gaming medium and community.
en
The Author
Video games
Authorship
Social aspects
Women
Psychological aspects
Sex differences
Video game characters
Design
The quest for change : writing video game narratives to battle sexism : a Master of Arts thesis, Massey University, 2018
Thesis
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
URL
https://mro.massey.ac.nz/bitstreams/3c9a9682-d31c-4cf7-ad32-ad2d7e00e2dc/download
File
MD5
9048e3976eee04035be4c2d975bcee8a
200263
application/pdf
01_front.pdf
URL
https://mro.massey.ac.nz/bitstreams/df10f51e-0e13-4a67-b028-033a6d204c72/download
File
MD5
26ca2f6af01af5f2ac33e58ee42c2e5f
3401542
application/pdf
02_whole.pdf
URL
https://mro.massey.ac.nz/bitstreams/5029c1b0-a172-4875-b08f-3428884806fb/download
File
MD5
971e977d0d42a92a66bce971c27e0b07
9141
text/plain
01_front.pdf.txt
URL
https://mro.massey.ac.nz/bitstreams/b765dbba-8804-477b-b35c-3b04857d397b/download
File
MD5
be61590dc59bdecbb8325021ce505dc0
100694
text/plain
02_whole.pdf.txt