2024
Friman, Usva; Ruotsalainen, Maria; Ståhl, Matilda
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Esports Book Chapter
In: Jenny, Seth E.; Besombes, Nicolas; Brock, Tom; Cote, Amanda C.; Scholz, Tobias M. (Ed.): Routledge Handbook of Esports, pp. 540-550, Routledge, 2024, ISBN: 9781003410591.
Abstract | Links | Tags: DEI, Discrimination, Diversity, Equity, Esports, Inclusion, Toxic meritocracy
@inbook{Friman2024,
title = {Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Esports},
author = {Usva Friman and Maria Ruotsalainen and Matilda Ståhl},
editor = {Seth E. Jenny and Nicolas Besombes and Tom Brock and Amanda C. Cote and Tobias M. Scholz},
url = {https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003410591-58
https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/publications/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-esports},
doi = {10.4324/9781003410591-58},
isbn = {9781003410591},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-09-24},
urldate = {2024-09-24},
booktitle = {Routledge Handbook of Esports},
pages = {540-550},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {This chapter presents an overview of what diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mean and how they matter in esports. The chapter describes how esports culture upholds harmful structures and practices, including misogyny, racism, hate against gender and sexual minorities, as well as various forms of identity-based discrimination and harassment, and how this limits participation of marginalized individuals. Further, the chapter explains how these issues are connected to esports' cultural background in hegemonic gaming and sport cultures and the prevalent culture of toxic meritocracy (i.e., a false belief that everyone has an equal chance to succeed despite their background). Finally, the chapter outlines existing good practices and initiatives in promoting DEI in esports, and offers further recommendations in this area. Key highlights include: 1) Participants who do not fit the expected image of an esports player (e.g., women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people) face many barriers for participation and are often excluded from and face systematic discrimination and harassment in esports, and 2) As a new kind of digital sport, esports has an opportunity to create a culture based on DEI, and there are many good practices and initiatives promoting this goal shared in this chapter.},
keywords = {DEI, Discrimination, Diversity, Equity, Esports, Inclusion, Toxic meritocracy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inbook}
}
This chapter presents an overview of what diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mean and how they matter in esports. The chapter describes how esports culture upholds harmful structures and practices, including misogyny, racism, hate against gender and sexual minorities, as well as various forms of identity-based discrimination and harassment, and how this limits participation of marginalized individuals. Further, the chapter explains how these issues are connected to esports' cultural background in hegemonic gaming and sport cultures and the prevalent culture of toxic meritocracy (i.e., a false belief that everyone has an equal chance to succeed despite their background). Finally, the chapter outlines existing good practices and initiatives in promoting DEI in esports, and offers further recommendations in this area. Key highlights include: 1) Participants who do not fit the expected image of an esports player (e.g., women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people) face many barriers for participation and are often excluded from and face systematic discrimination and harassment in esports, and 2) As a new kind of digital sport, esports has an opportunity to create a culture based on DEI, and there are many good practices and initiatives promoting this goal shared in this chapter.
2023
Friman, Usva; Ruotsalainen, Maria; Ståhl, Matilda
Communicating and Practicing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Finnish Esports Organizations: Challenges and Opportunities Journal Article
In: Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, vol. 1, iss. 1, pp. 1-14, 2023.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Communication, DEI, Electronic sports, Practices, Stakeholders
@article{Friman2023,
title = {Communicating and Practicing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Finnish Esports Organizations: Challenges and Opportunities},
author = {Usva Friman and Maria Ruotsalainen and Matilda Ståhl },
url = {https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jege/1/1/article-jege.2022-0040.xml?content=abstract
https://doi.org/10.1123/jege.2022-0040},
doi = {10.1123/jege.2022-0040},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-08-22},
urldate = {2023-08-22},
journal = {Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports},
volume = {1},
issue = {1},
pages = {1-14},
abstract = {In this study, we explore how Finnish esports organizations are communicating and aiming to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in their activities. The study is based on a qualitative analysis on two sets of research material: public websites of 53 esports organizations and interviews with representatives of five esports organizations. We have analyzed the textual and visual contents on these websites to see how Finnish esports organizations communicate diversity, equity, and inclusion—or exclusion—to their audiences. Analyzing the interview material, we have examined how Finnish esports organizations understand equity, what kind of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices they have applied in their operations, and what kind of challenges they have experienced in this area. Overall, this study describes how Finnish esports organizations do and do not present and experience themselves as diverse, equal, and inclusive environments, and what measures could be taken to increase these aspects in the Finnish esports scene in the future. The results of the study can be applied to various gaming and esports organizations and cultural contexts globally.},
keywords = {Communication, DEI, Electronic sports, Practices, Stakeholders},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In this study, we explore how Finnish esports organizations are communicating and aiming to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in their activities. The study is based on a qualitative analysis on two sets of research material: public websites of 53 esports organizations and interviews with representatives of five esports organizations. We have analyzed the textual and visual contents on these websites to see how Finnish esports organizations communicate diversity, equity, and inclusion—or exclusion—to their audiences. Analyzing the interview material, we have examined how Finnish esports organizations understand equity, what kind of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices they have applied in their operations, and what kind of challenges they have experienced in this area. Overall, this study describes how Finnish esports organizations do and do not present and experience themselves as diverse, equal, and inclusive environments, and what measures could be taken to increase these aspects in the Finnish esports scene in the future. The results of the study can be applied to various gaming and esports organizations and cultural contexts globally.