The Reproduction of Hypermasculinity, Misogyny and Rape Culture in Online Video Game Interactions

Abstract

Playing video games is a popular past time for many, and the introduction of online gaming allows people of various backgrounds to interact with one another. Yet, it is clear in the wake of incidences such as Gamergate which saw threats directed towards women, that gaming is still considered a male space that is hostile towards women. Through content analysis of online spaces, this research sought to understand how violence towards femininity manifests in gaming. Through Louis Althusser’s (1972) concept of Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs) I explore how hypermasculine and misogynistic ideologies are reproduced in online gaming culture. It was found that violence towards women, hypermasculinity, and misogyny were perpetuated through the expression of dominant ideologies that place men above women. That being said, there were a significant number of people who spoke out against these ideologies thus working to dismantle the dominant attitudes that contribute to violence towards women.