The Lara Phenomenon

Powerful Female Characters in Video Games

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11996468
AutoresJeroen Jansz (0000-0002-7206-3102, University of Amsterdam, autor de correspondencia), Raynel G Martis (University of Curaçao)
Año2007
Volumen56
Número3-4
Páginas141-148
Fecha de publicación2007-02-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSex Roles (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0360-0025 • E-ISSN: 1573-2762
EditorialSpringer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1007/s11199-006-9158-0
OpenAlexW2131717409
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas60
Referencias citadas31

The content of games is an understudied area in social scientific research about video games. The purpose of the present study is to contribute to the understanding of the portrayal of gender and race in games. Previous research on game content has revealed that stereotypical masculine characters dominate video games and that those characters are generally White. Nowadays, quite a few video games have women in leading parts; Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft is the prototypical example. In our study we investigated the so-called ‘Lara phenomenon,’ that is, the appearance of a competent female character in a dominant position. We also studied the portrayal of men and the race of both male and female characters. We did a content analysis on the introductory films of 12 contemporary video games. Our results show that female characters appeared as often in leading parts as male characters did. They were portrayed with a sexualized emphasis on female features. Most game characters belonged to the dominant White race, the heroes exclusively so

Character (mathematics · Content (measure theory · Content analysis · Epistemology · Multimedia · Phenomenon · Race (biology · Social science · Sociology · Video game · White (mutation · Computer Science · Digital Games and Media · Gender Studies · Media Influence and Health · Media, Gender, and Advertising · Psychology · Social Psychology