#1reasonwhy

I am interested in the question posed by Birgitta Hosea (Animation Director & Theorist) when she asked 

where are all the female CGI animators... 

If one aligns CGI Animation with CGI Game Production and look specifically at cinematic VR produced on the Unity game Engine, it is possible to locate a line of convergence between animation and videogames. 

So in examining Reasons Why (2017) I am thinking about why there are so few women in the videogame industry in relation to the animation industry. 

I have identified a few abstracts which could act as starting points for further research. 

https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy.falmouth.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1177/1555412017709418



#1ReasonWhy

Extract 1: 

Workplace Tweets reveal a “boys’ club” culture that women struggle to adapt to. Some women feel that they have to “join the boys club, wear hoodies, and enjoy drinking beer.” This does not mean, however, that women are supposed to act exactly like the men they work with. A prominent journalist explains that in professional social settings, there are different standards for women’s behavior: “My male colleagues are allowed to occasionally be obnoxious, silly, immature, annoying, drunk. I’m not.” In more than 60 Tweets coded for double Standards, female Tweet writers expressed being described as “confrontational,” “dramatic,” and “aggressive,” in contexts where their male colleagues are considered “honest,” “decisive,” and “confident.” Twenty-four of these relate specifically to women reporting that their behavior is interpreted as being “bitchy” or that they have been called a “bitch” by coworkers and colleagues.



Extract 2: 

Speaking out

The overall effect of not taking women’s claims seriously means that women often choose not to speak up about negative experiences for fear that it will risk their jobs and professional status. The Tweets reveal that speaking out can lead women to be accused of being sensitive, dramatic, confrontational, and volatile and that it can result in being mocked, harassed, threatened, or punished. Many Tweets cite professional consequences such as risks to their current employment and harming their chances for future opportunities. In some Tweets, women report fearing that male colleagues will interpret them speaking out as an act of betrayal or proof of their “female weakness.”

Extract 3: 

Time to embrace diversity and respect

“I’ve been called a bitch, a whore, a c*nt, fat, and a lesbian for playing and wanting to make games.”

Many of the Tweets in the #1ReasonWhy conversation are not tied to a specific context such as industry conferences or the workplace but rather speak to a general culture of sexism that caters to, and legitimizes, heteronormative male fantasies. “The [game] community trivializes and demeans the experiences of women and those outside the hetero-normative tradition,” one Tweet shares. For many women, it is a source of frustration that the men in the communities that they work and play in lack awareness of their privilege. 

One writer shares, “A lot of dudes genuinely don’t seem to realize that being a white, heterosexual male is playing life in easy mode.” Another expresses, “Men fall back on years of privileged experience without noticing when the opportunity to create change comes around.” There is a sense throughout the Tweets that #1ReasonWhy represents an opportunity for change. No longer satisfied to accept the excuse that “it’s the way it naturally is,” these Tweets suggest an unwillingness to accept a culture that “reinforces misogyny and hate,” and where talking about discrimination is “met with sarcasm, hate, or revulsion.” It is time to demand diversity, these Tweets insist.

Unfortunately, many in the industry are frustrated by slow progress due to “a very vocal, loud, and obnoxious minority [that] believe diversity will spoil their fun.” This is absolutely what has happened with the recent GamerGate controversy, and it is an issue that was prominent in the #1ReasonWhy Tweets: efforts at fostering diversity are met with dismissal and rejection. “Attempts to build community, vent frustration, and express solidarity are dismissed as pointless whining,” one person shares. Another expresses that leaders calling for diversity in games are “vilified and dismissed.” “We are answered with violent threats and demeaning slurs when we dare to suggest inclusive changes in the industry,” says another. Though met with less forceful resistance, other Tweets express frustration with a more passive response—people simply not recognizing the need for change as important or real. “Every time I talk about inclusiveness, men ask, ‘Why bother?’ instead of ‘Why not?’”

Regardless of the difficult struggle ahead, many Tweets suggested potential avenues for change. Some called for developers and publishers to embrace the idea that a diverse workforce is beneficial. Others called for a rejection of the status quo and a more widespread understanding that things are not currently fair or balanced. These Tweets call for people to speak up, stand in solidarity, or work to develop different perspectives. 

The majority of solutions point out the need for respectful discourse and discussion. “The discourse gets conflated and complex discussion condenses and snowballs into a generic backlash,” one Tweet concludes. “We need better talk.”

Reflection 

If 45% of video game players are female and only 10% of the workforce are female (many do not hold senior creative positions) then this suggests that this is an underserved customer which follows that genuinely tapping into this could be financially valuable, 

1. What would an all female game studio look like?  What games would be produced ? 

2. Provide a safe and nurturing space for young female game developers and see what happens... 

3. Connect with other art forms or produce work in different fields of creative practice ? 

4. Work in indie games development ?