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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Sarah Schoemann's Digital Media Ph.D. Thesis Defense: Designing Women
Date: July 9th, 2021
Time: 10-12pm (EST)
Location: https://bluejeans.com/908007672/9045
Committee:
Dr. Ian Bogost (Advisor)
Dr. Anne Sullivan (Co-Advisor)
Dr. Betsy DiSalvo
Dr. Chris Ledantec
Dr. Nassim Parvin
Title: Designing Women: Learning from Feminist Legacies and the Women-In-Games Movement
Abstract:
In 2019 the video games industry was rocked by a slew of high-profile sexual harassment and assault allegations that some called the #MeToo movement of the games world, but to many these revelations came as no surprise. From the 2004 EA Spouse controversy to the 2014 #Gamergate harassment campaign the games industry has long been known for harboring an at times toxic atmosphere of exploitation and discrimination.
This project looks at a handful of Women-In-Games organizations that set out to change the experience of women in the industry by helping newcomers to gain high tech skills and supporting early career professionals through mentorship and community building. Along the way, it combines the study of these Women-In-Games orgs with a years-long collaboration bringing video games to the US' oldest feminist bookstore, Charis Books & More in Atlanta, GA.
Through examining the work and values of two types of organizations devoted to women's equality, one a historic feminist movement-building space and the others, contemporary interventions into the professional games and tech industry, this study asks the questions "What can the Women-In-Games movement learn from the rich history of feminist organizing at spaces like Charis?" "Can games play a part in feminist consciousness raising?" and "What does the future of feminist organizing look like in the games industry?"
