New project delves into discrimination in Finnish gaming culture – building a safer and fairer community
According to the latest Finnish Player Barometer – a survey on gaming conducted by researchers at Tampere University – almost everyone in Finland aged between 10 and 75 plays at least occasionally. Digital gaming, in particular, is highly popular among children and young people, ranking as their second most common hobby.
Yet, a range of discriminatory structures continues to persist within gaming culture. Assistant Professor, Academy Research Fellow Usva Friman from Tampere University studies participation, inclusion and agency within gaming contexts.
“In this sense, participation encompasses all the ways through which people engage with gaming culture – not only playing but also other forms of interaction. Inclusion refers to the experience of belonging to gaming culture, while agency means having the opportunity to operate within gaming environments independently and in a meaningful way,” explains Friman.
In “Exploring New Dimensions of Game Cultural Agency: From Marginalisation to Empowerment” (ENDGAME), a recently launched project funded by the Research Council of Finland, Friman studies discriminatory structures within gaming culture with the aim of fostering greater equality.
“Gaming, gamification and the many forms of gaming culture are an integral part of everyday life, social interactions and the cultural environment in contemporary society. This is why it is both important and interesting to examine the factors that enable diverse individuals to participate in gaming culture as well as those that contribute to their exclusion,” she says.
Discriminatory structures linked to online culture
Friman has carried out extensive research on electronic sports, or esports. Female-only leagues have long existed in esports as a response to discrimination, providing women with a safe space to compete that would otherwise be unavailable.
Friman points out that the discriminatory structures within gaming culture mirror those embedded in wider online culture.
According to Friman, the deliberately constructed cultural notion of gaming as a separate sphere from everyday life has persisted for a long time. A stereotypical image of the gamer still partly defines the perceived target audience and primary actor within gaming environments.
“All those who do not fit this stereotype may encounter discrimination,” she says.
Friman stresses the importance of recognising that these discriminatory structures affect us all.
“Through my research, I can foster a deeper understanding of these structures and, most importantly, help to dismantle them.”
Focus on Finland
Although the discriminatory structures within gaming culture have been widely studied, previous research has tended to focus on specific demographic groups. Furthermore, the structures and experiences of discrimination have often been analysed within Anglo-American linguistic and cultural contexts, meaning the findings may not be directly applicable elsewhere.
The researchers involved in the ENDGAME project approach the issue from an intersectional perspective, seeking to understand how overlapping identity positions influence individuals’ ability to operate within gaming environments.
The focus of the project is firmly placed on Finland and its local gaming culture.
“We are looking to generate insights into how the local linguistic and cultural contexts shape discriminatory structures and experiences of exclusion,” says Friman.
The researchers will employ case studies as one of their key methods to investigate, for instance, the accessibility of gaming for young people who are neurodivergent, the use of gaming to support the integration of immigrants who belong to sexual or gender minorities, and the promotion of Sámi languages and culture within the esports community.
As part of the project, they will also conduct a large-scale survey among participants in Finnish gaming culture.
“Our goal is to gather the widest possible range of experiences – from feelings of belonging to instances of exclusion – from different respondent groups,” says Friman.
Museum exhibit showcases diverse experiences of gaming
Friman notes that the future findings of the ENDGAME project can be directly applied by a wide range of stakeholders, including gaming event organisers, youth workers who use gaming as a tool for engagement, gaming and esports organisations, and game companies.
As part of the project, the researchers will collaborate with the Finnish Museum of Games in Tampere to create an exhibition that highlights the many ways people participate in gaming culture, with a particular focus on experiences of discrimination.
“Through this exhibition, the ENDGAME project will help to preserve and showcase the rich and diverse legacy of gaming culture,” Friman concludes.
Read more about the ENDGAME project.
Learn more about the research conducted by the Game Research Lab at Tampere University.
