Identifier

177

Date

2021

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Major

English

Concentration

Language & Linguistics

Committee Chair

Sage L Graham

Abstract

The complex relationship between gender identity and the gaming community has been heavily discussed since the community was formulated. Now, thanks to popular video game streaming site Twitch.tv, these interactions are often recorded in real time for users to consume live from their homes. As this platform grows, questions emerge surrounding the ways in which a streamer's gender identity can affect these environments both socially and linguistically. This study seeks to explore the ways in which two popular League of Legends streamers, Dyrus and KayPeaLoL, explore their various identities as men and women respectively, as well as their shared identities as Twitch streamers and professional gamers. It was discovered that the male streamer often placed a greater emphasis on his gaming identity, while the female streamer placed more weight on her streaming identity. These findings will help in creating a clearer picture of how men and women operate within gaming spaces, to achieve the same level of prestige through streaming.

Comments

Undergraduate Honor's Thesis

Library Comment

Honors thesis originally submitted to the Local University of Memphis Honor’s Thesis Repository.

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