Socialization and Civic Engagement in the Virtual Field of Video Games

Socialization and Civic Engagement in the Virtual Field of Video Games PDF Author: Jackson Schwalb
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 139

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Book Description
The purpose of this research is to highlight the potential of video games to be a new space for social and civic interaction, facilitated by a variety of structural and community-based features. The theoretical basis for this analysis comes from Bourdieu's theory of practice, explaining the relationship between individual actions and dispositions, the social setting they are in, and the use of his four forms of capital during the interaction. This thesis walks through the production of norms and dispositions of individuals when playing video games, producing their overall habitus in the space. This is followed by analysis of the virtual field of video games, looking at the design and development of these games, the relationship with the video game community at large and the importance of hierarchy and structure on producing a virtual field of interaction between players. The final chapter breaks down the four major forms of capital outlined by Bourdieu (economic, cultural, social and symbolic) with the fourth being adjusted as a new term, gaming capital, as a representation of the combination of the other three forms when engaging in video game play. The results of this research point to the exponential opportunities for video games to facilitate social and civic engagement, as well as producing varying forms of capital that can be used both within the context of the virtual world and the real one.

Socialization and Civic Engagement in the Virtual Field of Video Games

Socialization and Civic Engagement in the Virtual Field of Video Games PDF Author: Jackson Schwalb
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 139

Get Book Here

Book Description
The purpose of this research is to highlight the potential of video games to be a new space for social and civic interaction, facilitated by a variety of structural and community-based features. The theoretical basis for this analysis comes from Bourdieu's theory of practice, explaining the relationship between individual actions and dispositions, the social setting they are in, and the use of his four forms of capital during the interaction. This thesis walks through the production of norms and dispositions of individuals when playing video games, producing their overall habitus in the space. This is followed by analysis of the virtual field of video games, looking at the design and development of these games, the relationship with the video game community at large and the importance of hierarchy and structure on producing a virtual field of interaction between players. The final chapter breaks down the four major forms of capital outlined by Bourdieu (economic, cultural, social and symbolic) with the fourth being adjusted as a new term, gaming capital, as a representation of the combination of the other three forms when engaging in video game play. The results of this research point to the exponential opportunities for video games to facilitate social and civic engagement, as well as producing varying forms of capital that can be used both within the context of the virtual world and the real one.

The Civic Potential of Video Games

The Civic Potential of Video Games PDF Author: Joseph Kahne
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262258315
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 111

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Book Description
This report focuses on the civic aspects of video game play among youth. According to a 2006 survey, 58 percent of young people aged 15 to 25 were civically "disengaged," meaning that they participated in fewer than two types of either electoral activities (defined as voting, campaigning, etc.) or civic activities (for example, volunteering). Kahne and his coauthors are interested in what role video games may or may not play in this disengagement.Until now, most research in the field has considered how video games relate to children's aggression and to academic learning. Digital media scholars suggest, however, that other social outcomes also deserve attention. For example, as games become more social, some scholars argue that they can be important spheres in which to foster civic development. Others disagree, suggesting that games, along with other forms of Internet involvement, may in fact take time away from civic and political engagement. Drawing on data from the 2006 survey, the authors examine the relationship between video game play and civic development. They call for further research on teen gaming experiences so that we can understand and promote civic engagement through video games.

Playful Trajectories and Experimentations

Playful Trajectories and Experimentations PDF Author: Judit Vari
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004468919
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 108

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Book Description
The principal aim of this book is to discuss the role of video games in socialization of children and young people. The development of video games is a sign of and a factor in the democratization of modern societies.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer PDF Author: Thorsten Quandt
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134092199
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 271

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Book Description
In the past decade, digital games have become a widely accepted form of media entertainment, moving from the traditional 'core gamer' community into the mainstream media market. With millions of people now enjoying gaming as interactive entertainment there has been a huge increase in interest in social multiplayer gaming activities. However, despite the explosive growth in the field over the past decade, many aspects of social gaming still remain unexplored, especially from a media and communication studies perspective. Multiplayer: Social Aspects of Digital Gaming is the first edited volume of its kind that takes a closer look at the various forms of human interaction in and around digital games, providing an overview of debates, past and present. The book is divided into five sections that explore the following areas: Social Aspects of Digital Gaming Social Interactions in Virtual Worlds Online Gaming Co-located and Console Gaming Risks and Challenges of Social Gaming This engaging interdisciplinary book will appeal to upper level students, postgrads and researchers in games research, specifically those focusing on new media and digital games, as well as researchers in media studies and mass communication.

Teens, Video Games, and Civics

Teens, Video Games, and Civics PDF Author: Amanda Lenhart
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description
Video games provide a diverse set of experiences and related activities and are part of the lives of almost all teens in America. To date, most video game research has focused on how games impact academic and social outcomes (particularly aggression). There has also been some exploration of the relationship between games and civic outcomes, but as of yet there has been no large-scale quantitative research. This survey provides the first nationally representative study of teen video game play and of teen video gaming and civic engagement. The survey looks at which teens are playing games, the games and equipment they are using, the social context of their play, and the role of parents and parental monitoring. Though arguments have been made about the civic potential of video gaming, this is the first large-scale study to examine the relationship between specific gaming experiences and teens' civic activities and commitments. Appended are: (1) Video Game and Console History Chart; and (2) Regression Analysis. (Contains 8 tables and 63 footnotes.).

Social Exclusion, Power, and Video Game Play

Social Exclusion, Power, and Video Game Play PDF Author: David G. Embrick
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 073913860X
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
While many books and articles are emerging on the new area of game studies and the application of computer games to learning, therapeutic, military, and entertainment environments, few have attempted to contextualize the importance of virtual play within a broader social, cultural, and political environment that raises the question of the significance of work, play, power, and inequalities in the modern world. Studies tend to concentrate on the content of virtual games, but few have questioned how power is produced or reproduced by publishers, gamers, or even social media; how social exclusion (based on race, class, or gender) in the virtual environment is reproduced from the real world; and how actors are able to use new media to transcend their fears, anxieties, prejudices, and assumptions. The articles presented by the contributors in this volume represent cutting-edge research in the area of critical game play with the hope of drawing attention to the need for more studies that are both sociological and critical.

Gamer Citizens

Gamer Citizens PDF Author: Ilya Brookwell
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040038956
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 134

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Book Description
This book examines the politics of being a gamer in the digital age with an in-depth study of the communities of gamers who populate live-video streaming sites. This text offers an innovative theoretical and methodological study of gamers in their community. It explores gamers as citizens and asks how gamers are political in view of their activities on stream. Ilya Brookwell examines how gamers live out their daily lives on live-video streams and how they use their associated new platforms and tools, including live-video streams such as Twitch.tv and online web fora, to engage with “live-video politics”. It explores the relationship between gamers, gaming, and streaming, highlighting how gamers develop a notion of self that is fundamentally located in community. Gamers consequently create, inhabit, as well as inherit a political world. With streaming communities offering unique insights into what it means to live in a digital age, the book explores how gamers find hopeful openings, as well as limits, through streaming. The book highlights how gamers can take an active role in politics and democracy in a digital age. Interesting reading for undergraduate students, postgraduate researchers, and academics of media, cultural and communication studies, video game studies, and digital media studies.

The Video Game Debate 2

The Video Game Debate 2 PDF Author: Rachel Kowert
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000224287
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
This student-friendly book provides an accessible overview of the primary debates about the effects of video games. It expands on the original The Video Game Debate to address the new technologies that have emerged within the field of game studies over the last few years. Debates about the negative effects of video game play have been evident since their introduction in the 1970s, but the advent of online and mobile gaming has revived these concerns, reinvigorating old debates and generating brand new ones. The Video Game Debate 2 draws from the latest research findings from the top scholars of digital games research to address these concerns. The book explores key developments such as virtual and augmented reality, the use of micro-transactions, the integration of loot boxes, and the growth of mobile gaming and games for change (serious games). Furthermore, several new chapters explore contemporary debates around e-sports, gamification, sex and gender discrimination in games, and the use of games in therapy. This book offers students and scholars of games studies and digital media, as well as policymakers, the essential information they need to participate in the debate.

Virtual Lives

Virtual Lives PDF Author: James D. Ivory Ph.D.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN:
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
This book is the THE source for information on virtual worlds, covering every aspect of this intriguing and fast-changing social practice and the technologies upon which it rests. Virtual Lives: A Reference Handbook describes the history, development, and role of virtual worlds, also known as virtual environments and immersive virtual environments. It provides detailed background about virtual worlds and their societal impact, from early precursors and inspirations to the latest trends and developments. Specifics on user demographics are included, as are descriptions of virtual worlds' functions, discussion of societal concerns and opportunities, and information about relevant research data and key persons and organizations. Although virtual worlds in their current form are a relatively new phenomenon, other online social environments have served as precursors for decades and literary inspirations go back even further. This handbook therefore covers some early developments dating back to the mid-20th century. Its primary focus, however, is on developments since the mid-1990s and especially on the current state and social impact of virtual worlds, including their impact both in the United States and around the world.

Trends and Applications of Serious Gaming and Social Media

Trends and Applications of Serious Gaming and Social Media PDF Author: Youngkyun Baek
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 981456026X
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 189

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Book Description
This book highlights the challenges and potential of educational learning or industry-based training using serious games and social media platforms. In particular, the book addresses applications used in businesses and education-related organizations in Asia, where the framework and experience of serious games have been used to address specific problems in the real world. The topics that will be present in this book includes future of serious games and immersive technologies and their impact on society; online and mobile games; achievement systems in serious games; persuasive technology and games for saving and money management; malware analytics for social networking; serious games for mental health interventions; educational implications of social network games; learning and acquiring subject knowledge using serious games in classrooms. The target audience for this book includes scientists, engineers and practitioners involved in the field of Serious Games. The major part of this book comprises of papers that have been presented at the Serious Games and Social Connect 2012 conference held in Singapore (October 4, 2012). All the contributions have been peer reviewed and by scientific committee members with report about quality, content and originality.