VIDEO GAMES: ETHICAL SPACES UNDER THE REGIME OF IMAGES by Ilya Brookwell A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Graduate Department of Theory and Policy Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Ilya Brookwell 2011 VIDEO GAMES: ETHICAL SPACES UNDER THE REGIME OF IMAGES Master of Arts 2011 Ilya Brookwell Department of Theory and Policy Studies in Education University of Toronto Abstract The video game is a deeply misunderstood medium, one that is often blamed as a root cause of violence, anti-social behaviour and the laziness of youth. In addition to those who judge video games as corrupting, there are those who note the complexity and instructive power of video games and hope to harness the technology for educational use. This thesis occupies a middle ground between these two poles. I set out to interrogate the potential of video games and to explore the troubling aspects of some contemporary commercial examples. I submit this work as a theoretical investigation of video games and “learning”. I argue that as a distinct textual form, video games are prime sites for encountering power and difference, as well as productive sites through which gamers come to know themselves. Video games are semiotic playing fields that, when theorized as such, call for pedagogical interventions focused on how we produce identities and teach about the worlds we inhabit both virtual and actual. I end with an explanation of how video games can constructively be theorized as “ethical spaces” for learning about issues of social justice. ii Acknowledgements I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Megan Boler for her unwavering commitment to helping me develop my ideas. This work would not have been possible without her valuable feedback as my supervisor. I would also like to thank my parents for their absolute confidence in my abilities. In addition to making me feel that my dreams are possible, their incredible support and love helped me through this project. Finally, I wish to express my gratitude towards my family and friends for always inspiring me and believing in the value of video games and education. iii Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... iii Introduction................................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Learning through Play.................................................................................................................. 5 Introduction............................................................................................................................................... 5 Gamers ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 Henry Jenkins: video game culture, complete freedom of movement and the meaning of play ............ 8 Jenkins: On learning ................................................................................................................................ 15 Robert L. Appelman: ‘serious games’ ...................................................................................................... 20 Appelman: On Learning ........................................................................................................................... 27 James Paul Gee: Embodied Empathy ...................................................................................................... 30 Gee: On Learning ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Concluding Thoughts ............................................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 2: Semiotic Playing Fields .............................................................................................................. 39 Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 39 The Regime of Images ............................................................................................................................. 40 Race and Differentiated Learning ........................................................................................................... 50 Gender and Pleasurable Learning ........................................................................................................... 54 Politics and Uncritical Learning ............................................................................................................... 61 Concluding Thoughts ............................................................................................................................... 69 Chapter 3: Risking Play ................................................................................................................................ 70 Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 70 Classroom Spaces .................................................................................................................................... 70 Morality Systems ..................................................................................................................................... 75 The Playthrough: ..................................................................................................................................... 77 Character Creation .................................................................................................................................. 88 Conversations .......................................................................................................................................... 91 Video Game Spaces ................................................................................................................................. 93 Ethical Spaces .......................................................................................................................................... 96 Concluding Thoughts ............................................................................................................................... 99 iv Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 101 v Introduction Undoubtedly, much of what we do and can do on a practical level is a consequence of our ability to break things down into manageable parts and rearrange them to solve a particular problem. There is a vast difference, however, between breaking these down into fragments and assuming that the field we are studying is composed of these separate entities. If our aim is to understand, rather than to achieve ways to do something, then reductive thinking may be inadequate, especially when our subject is human beings. Rather, it is essential to “dwell” in phenomena, to let our imaginations roam, to create an intuitive context for recognizing the patterns and relationships governing our subject beyond the confines of what we perceive immediately. Jeffery Kane (1999)1 As a teacher and educational philosopher, I find myself acutely aware that new technologies continue to present challenges for “learning”. These challenges range from operating technology – to play a blu-ray disk, check a global positioning system or navigate the internet – to using technology to facilitate or enhance other activities, such as studying, editing multi-media, writing a document, or doing research. In addition to the complexities that are involved in achieving the level of technological literacy that is required to meet these challenges, there is also the matter of understanding the impact technology continues to have on people, communities and society at large. There are two kinds of academic investigations which can and should be undertaken in light of technological advancements which are not mutually exclusive yet each deserving of explicit focus: investigations of technological literacy and technological awareness . The former aims to achieve better ways of doing something, whilst the later endeavors to create broader relational understanding and alternative ways of living as socially and technologically connected beings. Regarding various new technologies, both approaches ought to be adopted in concert rather than in opposition or isolation. That is to say, we should aim first to understand the social implications surrounding technology and then achieve ways of 1Kane, Jeffrey (1999). Education, Information, and Transformation: Essays on Learning and Thinking . Ohio: Merrill, an imprint of Prentice Hall 1 using said technology that builds upon that knowledge. Technological phenomena do indeed present challenges, but they also open possibilities of which we will not benefit from using reductive or compartmentalizing frameworks. I invite the reader to “dwell” on one technological innovation in particular throughout this thesis – the video game