Critical Social Inquiry 0198 - Gaming the System: Race, Queerness, and the Politics of Play

This course explores race, queerness, and the politics of play within the games industry and games community. By critically investigating racial stereotypes, gendered constructs, and ableist assumptions within the varied field of gaming (digital, table-top, LARPing), we can begin to understand and analyze how race, gender, and normativity structure our desires and code our cultures. This course will employ Game Studies, Cultural Studies, Queer Studies, Critical Race Theory, and Disability Studies. Questions to be considered include: What role does capitalism play in the production of games? Do games reinforce racist, ableist, and misogynist stereotypes? Can games be used to ethically explore difference? How do BIPOC/queer/disabled game designers reimagine tired tropes and create new realms for us to inhabit? What do games reveal about the complex relationships between marginalized bodies, history, and technology? How can we harness the power of gaming to disrupt and dismantle white supremacy, settler colonialism, and cisheteropatriarchy? Keywords:Game Studies, Popular Culture, Disability Studies, Critical Race Theory, Queer Studies

In/Justice Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time