CC BY
0УДК 316.454.56
Popova A.S.
student of Institute of Social Sciences and Mass Communications,
Belgorod State University (Belgorod, Russia)
THE ROLE OF GAMES IN MITIGATING STEREOTYPES AND PREJUDICE: HOW THE GAMES INDUSTRY PROMOTES SOCIAL INCLUSION AND TOLERANCE
Аннотация: within the framework of this article, the author investigates the influence of video games on the mitigation of stereotypes and prejudices of the population about certain categories of people. The main attention was focused on video games that tell the stories of people who have experienced combat as civilians and as military personnel. As a result, it was possible to identify the main ideas of video games that contribute to the mitigation of stereotypes and increase the degree of tolerance of citizens towards certain categories ofpeople.
Ключевые слова: stereotype, prejudice, tolerance, video game, society, social integration.
The gaming industry is becoming increasingly significant for culture with each passing year. Overall, this fact is not particularly surprising, as video games offer a unique experience, allowing individuals to visit places they have never been before and interact with them. This is a key distinction between video games and cinema. While cinema primarily serves as a demonstration of reality or fiction, games provide an opportunity for immersion in a world with its own rules and peculiarities. Players must adhere to the rules of the environment and assume corresponding roles.
Due to the high level of player engagement in the events of the virtual world, developers and writers have the ability to influence the player's personality through the main moral message of the game. Indeed, modern video games often feature compelling narratives that carry educational weight, allowing players to change their opinions about their surroundings and people. Ultimately, exposure to a variety of
video games can contribute to softening stereotypes in people's minds and make them more tolerant towards different groups of fellow citizens.[1] Let's illustrate this with examples.
The game developed by 11 bit studios, "This War of Mine," is one of the popular survival simulators that immerses the player into the events of warfare in an unnamed city in Eastern Europe. Throughout the gameplay, the player will encounter all the hardships of survival in a city ravaged by devastating war. The events of the game present the player with various situations involving difficult moral choices (such as sharing discovered supplies with a starving stranger encountered by chance or depriving one of the shelter's inhabitants of food, or leaving a stranger to die). Moreover, the game clearly conveys one idea - that even a noble act in the midst of warfare can lead to negative consequences.
The game from 11 bit studios allows a better understanding of those individuals who have had to live through the conditions of warfare. The example cited is relevant because the Russian Federation is currently also facing conditions of military conflict. Therefore, the country's citizens should understand what people who have witnessed war firsthand, lost loved ones, and endured hardships are going through.
Having familiarized oneself with the aforementioned game, an individual will undoubtedly reassess their opinion on war and, quite likely, realize that citizens who have relocated to the territory of the Russian Federation, where there is no active combat, should be provided with various social guarantees and integrated into society regardless of their previous place of residence. The game emphasizes the importance of volunteers who selflessly assist others in distress.[3]
In addition to "This War of Mine," there are numerous other video games on the market that address the theme of war and those who have experienced it. Another example that addresses the theme of war and the social reintegration of its participants is the video game "Mafia III" by Hangar 13 developers. Players are introduced to the story of a Vietnam War veteran - African American Lincoln Clay, who went to war in order to somehow find fulfillment in life, as African Americans in the 1960s in the United States could not expect high-paying jobs, making it easier for them to join the
military than to try to find employment in civilian life. Ultimately, Lincoln, during combat, experienced professional deformities. Mental inability to return to the accepted way of life, aggressiveness, unwillingness to resolve disputes peacefully, lack of sympathy for those around him - these are just some of the factors that led the main character to engage in criminal activities upon his return from war. [4]
At first glance, Lincoln Clay's story seems like a typical tale of a soldier who lost his mind, couldn't reconcile with his reality, and turned to unlawful means of fulfillment. However, if we consider the real historical context, we can see that in the United States, after the Vietnam War, the crime rate significantly increased. The cause of this was the war participants who didn't adapt to civilian life and either joined or formed criminal gangs. The social system of the United States failed to reintegrate veterans into civil society, resulting in a rise in crime.
Analyzing the main message of the game within the context of our research, it's worth noting that the game creators embedded the idea for the player that if there were no war, there would be no people like Lincoln Clay. On the other hand, we must understand that warfare has occurred, is occurring, and will continue to occur. Therefore, the game also conveys the idea that society of that time - racist, indifferent, and cruel - is also to blame for what happened in the United States. Cruelty begets cruelty - it's a classic rule of the universe[2].
The gaming industry has a significant influence on human culture. Games shape trends, either by developing or critiquing them. They can mock contemporary consumer culture or address more serious societal issues. As a result, by highlighting complex social themes in games, it's possible to combat societal unawareness and mitigate stereotyping of certain categories of citizens who coexist within the same society. For the Russian Federation, the most relevant issues are related to stereotypes about military personnel and civilians who have left areas of conflict. The games described above are intended to increase tolerance towards citizens of these categories.
СПИСОК ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ:
1. Korotkov, N. V. Video games as a resource for personal development: arguments for and against // Medical Education Today. - 2020. - No. 1. - P. 25-33;
2. Lyapina, E. S., Biryukova, N. V., Biryukov, A. A. The influence of video games on the neuro-psychological state of adolescents (literature review) // Trends in Science and Education Development. - 2021. - No. 74-1. - P. 88-91;
3. Shepel, Y. V. Gaming addiction as a socio-cultural phenomenon in modern society // Moscow. - 2007;
4. All about technology and games "Games and Social Inequalities: A Study of the Influence of the Gaming Industry on Cultural Stereotypes" // [Electronic resource]. Access mode: https://dzen.ru/a/ZI1R7TjBykUwGuUl (accessed: April 19, 2024)
