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Bringing Politics Into It: Organizing at the Intersection of Videogames and Academia

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Bringing Politics Into It: Organizing at the Intersection of Videogames and Academia Bringing Politics Into It: Organizing at the Intersection of Videogames and Academia Carolyn Jong A Thesis In the Humanities Program Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Humanities) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada January 2020 © Carolyn Jong CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Carolyn Jong Entitled: Bringing Politics Into It: Organizing at the Intersection of Videogames and Academia and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Humanities) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final Examining Committee: _________________________________________ Chair Dr. David Howes _________________________________________ External Examiner Dr. Greig De Peuter _________________________________________ External to Program Dr. Beverley Best _________________________________________ Examiner Dr. Mia Consalvo _________________________________________ Examiner Dr. Darren Wershler _________________________________________ Thesis Supervisor Dr. Bart Simon Approved by: _________________________________________________ Dr. Erin Manning, Graduate Program Director 9 April 2020 _________________________________________________ Dr. André G. Roy, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science iii ABSTRACT 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 Alt- Right 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. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to my parents, Cathy and Michael Jong, for supporting me through this entire process. Without their tireless efforts and enduring love, none of this would have been possible. Thanks also to my partner and co-organizer, Joachim, for always believing in me, helping me to develop and refine my theoretical perspective, and standing alongside me through thick and thin. It is in large part because of him that I found the strength and conviction to carry through to the end. I also owe a great deal to the large community of students, organizers, workers, collaborators, friends, and researchers that surround me, including past and current members of the Mount Royal Game Society, Game Curious Montreal, the Tree House, Game Workers Unite, QPIRG- Concordia, Food Against Fascism, the Industrial Workers of the World, and the many other organizations and collectives I have participated in or interacted with throughout the years. Not only have they provided invaluable feedback as I worked through the various drafts of my dissertation, but many have been there organizing alongside me, providing support, encouragement, and advice, and helping me to grow as a person and an organizer. Everything I know I have learned from other people, and this dissertation exists thanks to their collective efforts. It is as much theirs as it is mine. Thanks also to the many workers at Concordia, in Montreal, and around the world. It is the labour of the working class that sustains all academic research, and it is thanks to these workers that I was able to pursue a doctoral degree and devote so much time to reading and writing in the first place. Whether it took the form of scholarships distributed by the publicly- funded Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the administrative aid provided by workers at Concordia, or the labour that went into creating the laptops I used to conduct my research and write this dissertation, I have benefited in countless ways from the efforts of others. At base it is not the institutions, or the individual authors, but the workers who build and sustain them that deserve the credit. Labour is entitled to all it creates. Finally, I want to give thanks and recognition to the Indigenous caretakers of the land, the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation, whose unceded territory I currently occupy. This island, known as Tiohtià:ke in the language of the Kanien’kehá:ka, has long been a gathering site for many Indigenous peoples, including the Anishinaabe, Huron/Wendat, and Abénaki nations. I also owe a great deal to the Innu and Inuit of Labrador, my birthplace, for caring for the land and waters and developing many of the technologies that settlers living in that area continue to rely on to this day. The history and struggles of Indigenous peoples is an ongoing source of inspiration for me, and I expect will remain so for as long as I live. v Table of Contents Introduction: The View from the Intersection ........................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 - Two Industries and a Crisis .................................................................................10 Chapter 2 - Git Gud: Liberalism and Meritocracy ...................................................................40 Chapter 3 - GamerGate and Neo-Fascism ............................................................................72 Chapter 4 - Organizing Community .......................................................................................97 Conclusion: The Ruthless Criticism of All that Exists ........................................................... 127 Key Concepts ...................................................................................................................... 132 Capitalism ........................................................................................................................ 132 Class ................................................................................................................................ 137 Fascism ........................................................................................................................... 138 Imperialism and Colonialism ............................................................................................ 153 Historical Materialism ....................................................................................................... 156 Liberalism ........................................................................................................................ 159 Neoliberalism ................................................................................................................... 168 References .......................................................................................................................... 183 Appendix ............................................................................................................................. 233 Against Grading ............................................................................................................... 233 Capitalism, games, and diversity work ............................................................................. 235 Demystifying Activism – A 101 guide to getting involved .................................................. 237 Fighting Fascism .............................................................................................................. 242 GamerGate and the Right ................................................................................................ 244 Merit is a Myth ................................................................................................................. 248 The Limits of “Free Speech” ............................................................................................
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