"I Ain't No Girl": Exploring Gender Stereotypes in League of Legends

Jessica Anne Robinson, Purdue University

Abstract

According to the Entertainment Software Association’s 2016 report, more than half of American homes contain an individual who regularly plays video games. The ESA defines playing “regularly” as three or more hours each week. Far from the lonely basement-dwelling figure that usually comes to mind as associated with the word “gamer,” the ESA (2016) reports that over half of frequent gamers play socially with offline or online friends. Video games have become a significant force in modern culture, and one that cannot be ignored in communication research. Multi user online battle arenas (MOBAs), such as League of Legends, boast numbers even more impressive than the overall gaming industry. A recent interview with Riot Games revealed that, as of September 2016, League of Legends claims 100 million monthly players, easily making League of Legends the most popular video game in the world (Tassi, 2016). In addition to this impressive global player base, League of Legends offers players unique in-game structures that may contribute to the creation of a more progressive and welcoming space for gamers. A rigid set of gender stereotypes exist within the gaming community which serve to constrain the behavior of both male and female players, and act as a barrier to women interested in joining the gaming community. Male players are assumed to be inherently interested, knowledgeable about, and skilled in video game play, whereas female players are not (Behm-Morawitz & Mastro, 2009; Eklund, 2011; Nowak, Fox, & Ranjit, 2015; MacCallum-Stewart, 2008; Ogletree & Drake, 2007). In various game worlds, these assumptions translate into gendered expectations for behavior, role preferences, and overall skill. This project explores whether the new MOBA genre helps to create a progressive space in which players can begin to resist and challenge gender stereotypes through their own behavior and interactions with fellow gamers. Of particular note are the pre-programmed champions, the five in-game roles, and the emphasis on team play in MOBA games (Donaldson, 2015; Ferrari, 2013). Together, these features encourage players to focus on their own personally preferences for play style and team role, while simultaneously creating an inherently social environment. This experience stands in contrast to the emphasis on a single avatar and potential for individual play in other video game genres. Given the small amount of research that examines MOBA games, this project is largely exploratory in nature. Data was collected through a combination of semi-structured interviews (n = 40) and a social network analysis survey (n = 11) focused on individually reported networks. All participants were League of Legends players and members of a League of Legends student organization at a large Midwestern university. Grounded theory methods (Charmaz, 2014) were used to analyze the interview data. The social network data was examined with particular attention to gender identity homophily within each network, as well as differences and similarities between the ego-networks. Findings provide important insight into preferences for champion, role, and teammates based on gender identity (as measured by the Bem Sex-Role Inventory), as well as motivation for playing MOBAs, playstyle, methods of learning, stereotypes, gender salience, and the game social environment. Participants’ preferences and actual behavior in terms of in-game largely matched expectations based on their gender identities. Of note is that players categorized as masculine were more likely than other gender identity groups to play the expected role. In addition, players categorized as both androgynous and undifferentiated were the only players to report playing “fill,” or taking whatever role was necessary to complement their teammates’ choices. These patterns point to inherent belief in male expertise among masculine players, as well as the idea that androgynous and undifferentiated players possess a wider array of in-game skill than their sex-typed teammates. Results from the social network analysis demonstrated relatively diverse networks. As with preferences, this pattern was largely expected; however, additional research to further explore this idea is necessary. Analysis of the interview transcripts yielded five themes: (1) play motivation, mostly dominated by variants of playing for social reasons; (2) playstyle preferences, where a significant discussion of playing a “utility” role vs. serving as the “star of the team” surfaced; (3) ways in which players learn to play League of Legends, including conducing online research, hand-on experience, being taught by friends, or watching professional players; (4) insight into the stereotypes surrounding the gaming community broadly and female gamers specifically, moments of gender salience for female gamers, and the interaction of gender identity and gaming experiences; and (5) the social environment in which gamers play, including student organizations, online communities, and the gaming community at large. These findings have both theoretical and practical implications for game designers, gamers, and communication scholars, and offer several paths for future research.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Roberts, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Communication|Multimedia Communications|Gender studies

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