Institute for Research on Digital Learning presents talk on gaming culture

Who belongs in physical and online gaming spaces? Who determines what counts as “game culture?” How are certain groups of people represented in games themselves? Who owns the “cultural clubhouse” and who are the “space invaders”?

Explore these questions and more on Feb. 28 when York University’s Institute for Research on Digital Learning presents its panel session “Gender, Games, and Culture” from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in 280N York Lanes.

During this event, panellists will discuss their work on gender and games.

Karen Skardzius, a PhD candidate in the Communication & Culture program at York University, will look at the unique experiences of female streamers on the popular streaming service Twitch. Her research interests include gender and media, creative labour and digital games, and her doctoral research examines the experiences of women who live-stream video games on Twitch.

Sarah Stang, a PhD candidate in the Communication & Culture program at York University, will examine issues of gender representation in games. Her research focuses on questions of representation in games and other media. Her doctoral work examines female monstrosity in digital and tabletop fantasy role-playing games.

Emma Vossen, a postdoctoral research Fellow at York University with a PhD from the University of Waterloo, will discuss fair and equal access to participation in gameplay and games culture. Her research looks at the myriad of different ways marginalized people have difficulty accessing gameplay and games culture, both historically and in the present. She is the co-author and co-editor of the anthology Feminism in Play.

To RSVP for this event, email irdl@yorku.ca.