Bringing Politics Into It: Organizing at the Intersection of Videogames and Academia
Carolyn Jong, Ph.D.
Concordia University, 2020
This dissertation explores the structural and ideological roots of GamerGate and the AltRight within the game industry and academia. The analysis draws on the author’s personal
experiences engaging in feminist community organizing, an examination of online materials
associated with GamerGate, as well as various strands of critical theory, to interrogate the
material reproduction of liberal ideology and meritocracy within neoliberal capitalism. Using the
recent “culture wars” in videogames and academia as an example, the author argues that liberal
capitalist institutions pave the way, both materially and ideologically, for the rise of fascist
movements during periods of capitalist crisis, creating a social context that is oriented towards
scapegoating oppressed people and reinforcing existing hierarchies. While the specific targets,
symbols, and strategies used by fascist movements may change to reflect the changing
circumstances, there are also many similarities that can be found between early 20th-century
fascism, and contemporary neo-fascist movements like the Alt-Right.
The problems marginalized people encounter in both games and academia are a
product of capitalism and its historical development, including the international division of labour
created by imperialism and patriarchy. Whether we’re talking about targeted harassment, the
emergence of reactionary movements like GamerGate, institutionalized discrimination,
exclusionary and constrained definitions of play and games, or the culture of overwork,
capitalism and the drive for profit lies at the root. Previous attempts to address these issues
through corporate diversity initiatives, indie game entrepreneurialism, consumer activism, and
merit-based selection processes are limited by the fact that they do not directly challenge
capitalist social relations. In order to both expose those limits and move past them, feminist
organizers need an anti-capitalist political strategy that leverages the latent power of the
international working class to challenge imperialism, colonialism, and patriarchy.
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