Gender and Racial Stereotypes of Video Game Characters in (MMO)RPGs

Abstract

 Internet and related new communication environments have also caused many changes in social and cultural structures. Games which are a mass communication medium, provide a space where players can easily obtain images, ideas, and evaluations to determine their own behavioral schedules. There are a number of studies that have included a variety of methodologies and data sources to determine whether or not video games, are also a direct influence on people’s thoughts and behaviors such as traditional media environments that address millions of people. Today, MMORPGs are becoming more and more difficult with increasingly difficult tasks and wars. Different types of media such as visual and print media are the platforms that people can meet different stereotypes. Stereotypes are common thoughts that they are not private and carried on by sharing within the same community. While stereotype has a more uniform quality, prejudice can encompass a large number of stereotypes (ex, race, religion, sex stereotypes). This study aims to determine whether or not there is a relationship between gender and racial stereotypes of video game characters and variables such as race, gender, body types, and sexual portrayal-attire. Of the 107 RPG games that were examined, there were a total of 273 (46.2%) male characters and 318 (53.8%) female characters. Results of the chi-square analysis indicated that there were significant distribution differences between dependent and independent variables. 

Keywords

• Video Games,Character,Race Representation,Gender Stereotype,BSRI

(MMO)RPG Video Oyun Karakterlerinin Cinsiyet ve Etnik Stereotipleri

Abstract

Oyunlar yalnız bireyler üzerinde doğrudan etkili olmakla kalmayıp, toplumun kültürü, bilgi birikimi, normlarını ve değerlerini de etkilemektedir. Milyonlarca kişiye hitap eden geleneksel medya ortamları gibi video oyunlarının da kişilerin düşünce ve davranışları üzerinde yönlendirici etkisi olup olmadığına yönelik çeşitli metodolojiler ve veri kaynaklarını içine alan birçok araştırma bulunmaktadır. Günümüzde MMORPG tarzı oyunlar gittikçe daha zor görev ve savaşlar hale gelmektedir. Görsel ve yazılı medya gibi farklı medya türleri, farklı stenotipteki insanları buluşturabilen platformlardır. Stereotipler, kişisel olmayan ve aynı topluluk içinde paylaşılarak sürdürülen ortak düşüncelerdir. Stereotipler daha homojen bir yapıya sahipken, önyargılar ise çok sayıda stereotipi (örneğin, ırk, din, cinsiyet klişeleri) kapsayabilmektedir. Bu çalışma, video oyunu karakterlerinin cinsiyet ve etnik stereotipileri ile ırk, cinsiyet, vücut tipleri, cinsel tasvir, kıyafetleri gibi değişkenler arasında bir ilişki olup olmadığını belirlemeyi amaçlamaktadır. 107 RPG oyunda yer alan toplam 273 (% 46,2) erkek ve 318 (% 53,8) bayan karakter incelenmiştir. Ki-kare analizinin sonuçları, bağımlı ve bağımsız değişkenler arasında anlamlı farklılık olduğunu göstermiştir 

Keywords

• Video Oyunlar,Karakter,Etnik Temsil,Cinsiyet Stereotipi,BSRI

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