Carina Assuncao

Thesis title

How is gender diversity experienced in esports communities in Portugal and the UK? 

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, competitive video games have attracted more players and spectators. Professional videogame playing – esports – has adopted the language, aesthetics, and structures from traditional sports to become a legitimate ‘sport for all’ inclusive of everyone irrespective of physical ability or gender. Unlike most other traditional sports where males have physical advantages such as muscle mass and upper body strength, in esports there is no biological justification for gender segregation, yet most professional players identify as male. 

This project will explore how esports communities in Portugal and the UK embrace or resist alterity, with the goal to develop evidence-based gender diversity recommendations for grassroots communities and events, thus highlighting pathways that normalise expanded participation in esports. 

While initiatives focussed on gender diversity such as women-only tournaments are often proposed, the impact of such initiatives is not yet fully understood, nor are the conditions under which the potential benefits can be fully realised. Such initiatives are under-studied, especially in the European context where esports sectors are in development, and especially after the pandemic caused a surge in esports’ popularity. Mixed-methods organised into two work packages will be employed. 

Work Package 1 focuses on uncovering internal/external factors shaping the experiences of people of different genders participating in esports in both countries. A questionnaire will be shared among the esports communities, and observations will be gathered from online and in-person tournaments/gaming events. Interviews will be conducted both online and at in-person tournaments/events, with various individuals engaging in esports. 

Work Package 2 focuses on understanding the individuals and forces shaping current and future gender diversity policies and practices in esports in both countries. This will involve content analysis of such documentation, e.g., codes of conduct, promotional material; and thematic analysis of how these are received by the esports communities.