How video games give players the opportunity to explore gender

Johnson, Thalia Rae

How video games give players the opportunity to explore gender

Johnson, Thalia Rae

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2024

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Johnson, Thalia Rae
dc.date.accessioned	2025-06-20T01:38:07Z
dc.date.available	2025-06-20T01:38:07Z
dc.date.issued	2024
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/187797
dc.description	University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.description.abstract	With how video games are becoming an increasing part of many people’s lives, many transgender people are using video games to help with figuring out their gender and how they want to live. The purpose of this thesis is to find out what role do video games have in transgender gamers’ exploration of gender. A literature review was researched to find background information into the topic and to assist with the investigation. A study was then conducted that gathered the thoughts and experiences of transgender people in a survey and interviews, analysing the common themes to determine how video games give people a space for gender exploration. The study found that mental health benefits, social interactions, character creation, and representation all played a part in helping transgender people explore gender. This has all culminated in a framework that game designers can incorporate into their games to create a game that is more inclusive of transgender people and more welcoming of people exploring and experimenting with their gender.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.format	Thesis (MSc(CompSc))
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US.UTF-8
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/187797/1/thesis.pdf
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.rights	© 2024 Thalia Rae Johnson
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/cph
dc.title	How video games give players the opportunity to explore gender	en_US.UTF-8
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*

Abstract:

With how video games are becoming an increasing part of many people’s lives, many transgender people are using video games to help with figuring out their gender and how they want to live. The purpose of this thesis is to find out what role do video games have in transgender gamers’ exploration of gender. A literature review was researched to find background information into the topic and to assist with the investigation. A study was then conducted that gathered the thoughts and experiences of transgender people in a survey and interviews, analysing the common themes to determine how video games give people a space for gender exploration. The study found that mental health benefits, social interactions, character creation, and representation all played a part in helping transgender people explore gender. This has all culminated in a framework that game designers can incorporate into their games to create a game that is more inclusive of transgender people and more welcoming of people exploring and experimenting with their gender.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/187797