Kate Spowage
Biographic Data
| ID | 735101 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Kate Spowage |
| GIVEN NAMES | Kate |
| FAMILY NAME | Spowage |
| SIGNATURE | SPOWAGE K |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Leeds |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3736-2104 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 5 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 2 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 5 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2018 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Anything, Anytime, Anywhere
Due to advancements in technology, capital-intensive videogames now often include rich semiotic detail in their simulated spaces. In The Last of Us, specifically, much of the playable space is stylised as dilapidated capitalist cities. In this article, I argue that the semiotic constitution of these spaces creates opportunities to reflect critically on contemporary life. It also reveals the ideological complexity of the videogame, challenging ass…
Against the game
In this article, I explore videogames, language ideologies, and vernacular theory. Specifically, I examine the politics of language in Sid Meier's Civilization, with an emphasis on the representation of toponymy and the renaming of places after conquest. Civilization players lead quasi-imperial states, capture 'cities' from opponents, and rename them. Despite limitations in the game code, players use online forums to develop their understanding o…
Reading and ideology
This article examines social debates on mass reading in Britain, linking them to the free public libraries movement of the mid-19th century. It argues that free public libraries were defended on the grounds of a piecemeal, eclectic, but nonetheless identifiable vernacular theory of ideology that emerged over the course of a century. This theory treated literary texts as containers of ideas and values that could be transmitted to readers. It respo…
Beyond “Fashoda Syndrome”
This article uses a case study to interrogate the politics of French in Africa. It examines French involvement in the Rwandan Civil War (1990–1994), and argues that by conceptualising institutions such as La Francophonie as “cultural” bodies, we risk obscuring their properly political functions. Through a consideration of the history of language in French colonial thought, and the translation of that history into the post-colonial idea of francop…
English and Marx's 'general intellect'
Against the game
In this article, I explore videogames, language ideologies, and vernacular theory. Specifically, I examine the politics of language in Sid Meier's Civilization, with an emphasis on the representation of toponymy and the renaming of places after conquest. Civilization players lead quasi-imperial states, capture 'cities' from opponents, and rename them. Despite limitations in the game code, players use online forums to develop their understanding o…
Reading and ideology
This article examines social debates on mass reading in Britain, linking them to the free public libraries movement of the mid-19th century. It argues that free public libraries were defended on the grounds of a piecemeal, eclectic, but nonetheless identifiable vernacular theory of ideology that emerged over the course of a century. This theory treated literary texts as containers of ideas and values that could be transmitted to readers. It respo…
English and Marx's 'general intellect'
Beyond “Fashoda Syndrome”
This article uses a case study to interrogate the politics of French in Africa. It examines French involvement in the Rwandan Civil War (1990–1994), and argues that by conceptualising institutions such as La Francophonie as “cultural” bodies, we risk obscuring their properly political functions. Through a consideration of the history of language in French colonial thought, and the translation of that history into the post-colonial idea of francop…
Reading and ideology
This article examines social debates on mass reading in Britain, linking them to the free public libraries movement of the mid-19th century. It argues that free public libraries were defended on the grounds of a piecemeal, eclectic, but nonetheless identifiable vernacular theory of ideology that emerged over the course of a century. This theory treated literary texts as containers of ideas and values that could be transmitted to readers. It respo…
Against the game
In this article, I explore videogames, language ideologies, and vernacular theory. Specifically, I examine the politics of language in Sid Meier's Civilization, with an emphasis on the representation of toponymy and the renaming of places after conquest. Civilization players lead quasi-imperial states, capture 'cities' from opponents, and rename them. Despite limitations in the game code, players use online forums to develop their understanding o…
Anything, Anytime, Anywhere
Due to advancements in technology, capital-intensive videogames now often include rich semiotic detail in their simulated spaces. In The Last of Us, specifically, much of the playable space is stylised as dilapidated capitalist cities. In this article, I argue that the semiotic constitution of these spaces creates opportunities to reflect critically on contemporary life. It also reveals the ideological complexity of the videogame, challenging ass…
Sociology (4 works) · History (3 works) · Law (3 works) · Linguistics (3 works) · Political science (3 works) · Politics (3 works) · Epistemology (2 works) · Ideology (2 works) · Literature (2 works) · Multilingual Education and Policy (2 works)