Day 2/10 of the anti-racist #gamestudies thread series.
Today I take a look at a fantastic study by @KishonnaGray on the way Black gamers get harassed in online gaming (XboX Live) based on the sound of their voice.
link to article 👇✨ tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…
Today I take a look at a fantastic study by @KishonnaGray on the way Black gamers get harassed in online gaming (XboX Live) based on the sound of their voice.
link to article 👇✨ tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…
The study method was an 8 months ethnography of XboX live games, including Halo Reach, Gears of War 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Black Ops. Being present at these sites allowed the researcher to interact as observer and participant in the community.
Gray observes a process that leads to racism which is recognised and expected by Black gamers:
”The act of racism emerges through a process involving questioning, provoking, instigating, and ultimately racism.”
It starts with trash talk and ends with the n-word.
”The act of racism emerges through a process involving questioning, provoking, instigating, and ultimately racism.”
It starts with trash talk and ends with the n-word.
How does this process work? Gray observes 3 steps.
First, questioning: “The simple question asked is ‘‘are you black’’ attempting to confirm the sound of blackness.” Almost every instance witnessed started with a question like this.
First, questioning: “The simple question asked is ‘‘are you black’’ attempting to confirm the sound of blackness.” Almost every instance witnessed started with a question like this.
Second, provoking. Many gamers “recited offensive black and/or immigrant jokes, challenged the penis size of black men, challenged citizenship of Latino sounding gamers, explained disgust for big lips, criticized the use of Ebonics, and even disrespected black mothers”.
Such provocations seem to have a clear goal: making the Black gamers feel inferior and confirming the domination of whiteness in the space.
According to Gray it’s important to note that Black gamers already expect this kind of behaviour. Why? It has to do with deviance.
According to Gray it’s important to note that Black gamers already expect this kind of behaviour. Why? It has to do with deviance.
Deviance, similar to stigma, refers to characteristics or behaviour that are considered different and therefore socially unacceptable.
Social groups respond to deviance in disapproving or punitive ways. In XboX live, it’s Black gamers, not racism that’s labeled deviant.
Social groups respond to deviance in disapproving or punitive ways. In XboX live, it’s Black gamers, not racism that’s labeled deviant.
Because, step 3: Calling a gamer the n-word. This “seems to be the pinnacle of hate speech” and causes great anguish and suspicion among Black gamers.
Given the number of online assaults, how many white friends are closeted racists who’d say the n-word offline if they could?
Given the number of online assaults, how many white friends are closeted racists who’d say the n-word offline if they could?
When talking to those using the n-word in Xbox live, Gray observes a 2-step justification:
1) the gamer claims he has been annoyed first
2) removing the historical context of the word: It’s just a ‘stupid word’ that no longer carries any meaning.
1) the gamer claims he has been annoyed first
2) removing the historical context of the word: It’s just a ‘stupid word’ that no longer carries any meaning.
While Blackness does not seem to be punished in the matter that is used to be, punishment persists in Xbox live: “I witnessed my participants experience racism on a daily basis” How can this be? Why do gamers feel safe to behave racist online?
Gray says it has to do with the fact that we still imagine gamers in very limited ways.
“Much of what happens to the participants in my study stems from the myth that black people are not gamers.”
As long as gamers are still imagined white and male, this will continue.
“Much of what happens to the participants in my study stems from the myth that black people are not gamers.”
As long as gamers are still imagined white and male, this will continue.
Overall, this study is a wakeup call to everyone who still believes in the fairytale of the 'meritocracy' of play: games as neutral spaces without politics.
This is the way of thinking allows the 'process of racism' to continue and cements online gaming as a white space.
This is the way of thinking allows the 'process of racism' to continue and cements online gaming as a white space.
continue to day 3:
