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Games Fail To Portray Gender and Ethnic Diversity
eldavojohn writes "A new study has found that game characters tend not to reflect cultural diversity. According to the paper from researchers across four universities (PDF): 'A large-scale content analysis of characters in video games was employed to answer questions about their representations of gender, race and age in comparison to the US population. The sample included 150 games from a year across nine platforms, with the results weighted according to game sales. ... The results show a systematic over-representation of males, white and adults and a systematic under-representation of females, Hispanics, Native Americans, children and the elderly.' The researchers also note that games 'function as crucial gatekeepers for interest in science, technology, engineering and math,' and that without these groups represented properly, 'it may place underrepresented groups behind the curve.'"
Yeah... "studies" such as this are why Psychology is NOT a science, and not quickly advancing to become one.
Psychology isn't a science, it isn't debatable. It doesn't meet the formal definition of a science on several grounds,
falsifiability, honoring of the null hypothesis, and lack of rigor in experiments all being among them.
[video] games 'function as crucial gatekeepers for interest in science, technology, engineering and math,' and that without these groups represented properly, 'it may place underrepresented groups behind the curve.'"
Bullshit on that one. I know a lot of boys think they are "good with computers" because they spend a lot of time gaming, but reality rarely lives up to their self perception. The more the white male middle class and upper class potential professionals and potential elites spend their childhoods addicted to games the better. They'll give up their places in the socioeconomic order and unconsciously undermine their own privilege. Let the spoiled pale brat boys squander their minds. Let the female, transgender, people of color, etc feel alienated by corporate developed video games. Maybe they'll pick up a book, join a discussion group, or code their own self-empowering games.
------ Take away the right to say fuck and you take away the right to say fuck the government.
That's odd. There's usually about four-five chicks in every game that fall in love with the hero. They must not be looking hard enough.
I choose characters based on their racial abilities not the gender.
So you aren't sexist, just racist.
Anthropogenic global warming is established fact.
It is? When did that happen? I agree, it's a compelling theory, but not a fact.
Do you also subscribe to Lamarkism, phrenoloy, abiogenic petroleum, and the luminous aether?
And most of those were compelling theories at one point and were regarded as facts by many as well.
It's easy to poke a few isolated holes in any theory.
I'd say there have been more than a few and it would be much harder to do so if it was a "fact".
You've made real progress when you're able to posit a theory that better explains the facts.
Very true. But you seem to be saying that no one can debate the validity of what you are saying unless they have a better all encompassing theory that you are willing to accept. This is where I have a problem with arguments on both sides. The planetary ecosystem is terribly complex and frankly it's awfully arrogant to think we totally understand what's going especially with the vast amount of data and how it can be used to pretty much show anything you want it to.
A little while back there were reports that the polar ice was returning at a faster rate than was thought possible. Immediately people said that this disproved GW. Then advocates for it said this was a function of GW after years of saying that it was the cause of the melting in the first place. The only fact I took away from this incident is that we really don't know what the hell is going on.
Until then, you AGW deniers are behaving just like the other children in the room, the "intelligent design" advocates.
Put up or shut up.
With the above statement and "Face it: your side lost.", I have to ask, who is acting childish? Honestly I find your stance a hell of a lot more closed minded than that of intelligent design advocates. I have to say I find your attitude to be more like the catholic church during the crusades. If I can't prove beyond any doubt that there is no global warming god in the sky, then obviously it must be there.
I would like to have a little more information before I jump to any conclusions. You see, when I was a kid the big scare was that we were heading for the next ice age.