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.
2022
Friman, Usva; Ruotsalainen, Maria
Gender and Toxic Meritocracy in Competitive Overwatch: Case “Ellie” Book Section
In: Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (Ed.): Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch, pp. 135-154, Palgrave Macmillan, 2022, ISBN: 978-3-030-82766-3.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Community, Competitive gaming, Gender, Overwatch, Toxic meritocracy, Women
@incollection{Friman2022,
title = {Gender and Toxic Meritocracy in Competitive Overwatch: Case “Ellie”},
author = {Usva Friman and Maria Ruotsalainen},
editor = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Maria Törhönen and Veli-Matti Karhulahti},
url = {https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0_8},
isbn = {978-3-030-82766-3},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-10},
booktitle = {Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch},
pages = {135-154},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan},
abstract = {This chapter examines toxic meritocracy in relation to gender in competitive Overwatch, asking how gender affects a player’s opportunities for engagement in that scene. It analyzes online news stories and community discussions concerning “Ellie” – a fabricated competitive woman gamer created as a “social experiment” by a man player. The confluences between gender and toxic meritocracy become visible in the assumption there must be an experienced man gamer behind the battletag, the gender-based harassment targeted at Ellie, and the reflections on the importance of setting an example as the first team taking a woman player for Contenders. The analysis shows that despite a strong belief in meritocracy upheld within the community, there are many barriers limiting the participation of those entering competitive Overwatch as women.},
keywords = {Community, Competitive gaming, Gender, Overwatch, Toxic meritocracy, Women},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
This chapter examines toxic meritocracy in relation to gender in competitive Overwatch, asking how gender affects a player’s opportunities for engagement in that scene. It analyzes online news stories and community discussions concerning “Ellie” – a fabricated competitive woman gamer created as a “social experiment” by a man player. The confluences between gender and toxic meritocracy become visible in the assumption there must be an experienced man gamer behind the battletag, the gender-based harassment targeted at Ellie, and the reflections on the importance of setting an example as the first team taking a woman player for Contenders. The analysis shows that despite a strong belief in meritocracy upheld within the community, there are many barriers limiting the participation of those entering competitive Overwatch as women.
2018
Ruotsalainen, Maria; Friman, Usva
"There Are No Women and They All Play Mercy": Understanding and Explaining (the Lack of) Women’s Presence in Esports and Competitive Gaming Proceedings Article
In: DiGRA Nordic '18: Proceedings of 2018 International DiGRA Nordic Conference, 2018.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Electronic sports, Gender, Hegemonic geek mascunility, Overwatch, Toxic meritocracy
@inproceedings{Ruotsalainen2018,
title = {"There Are No Women and They All Play Mercy": Understanding and Explaining (the Lack of) Women’s Presence in Esports and Competitive Gaming},
author = {Maria Ruotsalainen and Usva Friman},
url = {http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/there-are-no-women-and-they-all-play-mercy-understanding-and-explaining-the-lack-of-womens-presence-in-esports-and-competitive-gaming},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-11-01},
urldate = {2018-11-01},
booktitle = {DiGRA Nordic '18: Proceedings of 2018 International DiGRA Nordic Conference},
abstract = {In this paper, we explore women’s participation in esports and competitive gaming. We will analyze two different types of research material: online questionnaire responses by women explaining their reluctance to participate in esports, and online forum discussions regarding women’s participation in competitive Overwatch. We will examine the ways in which women’s participation – its conditions, limits and possibilities – are constructed in the discussions concerning women gamers, how women are negotiating their participation in their own words, and in what ways gender may affect these processes. Our findings support those made in previous studies concerning esports and competitive gaming as fields dominated by toxic meritocracy and hegemonic (geek) masculinity, and based on our analysis, women’s room for participation in competitive gaming is still extremely limited, both in terms of presence and ways of participation.},
keywords = {Electronic sports, Gender, Hegemonic geek mascunility, Overwatch, Toxic meritocracy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
In this paper, we explore women’s participation in esports and competitive gaming. We will analyze two different types of research material: online questionnaire responses by women explaining their reluctance to participate in esports, and online forum discussions regarding women’s participation in competitive Overwatch. We will examine the ways in which women’s participation – its conditions, limits and possibilities – are constructed in the discussions concerning women gamers, how women are negotiating their participation in their own words, and in what ways gender may affect these processes. Our findings support those made in previous studies concerning esports and competitive gaming as fields dominated by toxic meritocracy and hegemonic (geek) masculinity, and based on our analysis, women’s room for participation in competitive gaming is still extremely limited, both in terms of presence and ways of participation.