SOCb2507 Sociology of gaming

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2023
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Dr. Werner Binder (lecturer)
Mgr. Ondřej Klíma (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Dr. Werner Binder
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Tue 10:00–11:40 U23
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 9/30, only registered: 0/30, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 10 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
This course investigates the social and cultural significance of gaming, in particular, the role of video games in contemporary society. While vidaeo games have been long disregarded as a respectable topic of sociological study, their economic and cultural impact can no longer be ignored. We will first lay a theoretical foundation with a close reading and discussion of classical texts on play and games by Huizinga and Caillois, before engaging with more recent explorations of the phenomenon of video games in their social and cultural context.
Learning outcomes
Students will engage with the past and current works on the sociology of gaming and video games, thus gaining a knowledge base for future research in the marvelous world of video games and their impact on our contemporary society.
Syllabus
  • Sociology of Gaming
    • Huizinga: Nature and Significance of Play as a Cultural Phenomenon” Homo Ludens. A Study of the Play-Element in Culture
    • Caillois: Man, Play and Games

    Sociology of Video games
    • Dovey and Kennedy: Game Cultures: Computer Games as New Media.
    • Muriel and Crawford: Video Games as Culture: Considering the Role and Importance of Video Games in Contemporary Society
    • Wolf and Perron: The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies.
    • Harvey: Gender, Age, and Digital Games in the Domestic Context
    • Rupcic: Techno-Religion and Cyberspace Spirituality in Dystopian Video Games.
    • Crawford, Gosling, and Light: Online Gaming in Context: The Social and Cultural Significance of Online Games
    • Klíma: Whose voice matters? The gaming sphere and the Blitzchung controversy in eSports.
Literature
    required literature
  • HUIZINGA, J. Homo ludens : a study of the play-element in culture. 1st Beacon pbk. ed. Boston: Beacon, 1955, 220 s. ISBN 9780807046814. info
  • CAILLOIS, Roger. Man, play, and games. New York: Free Press of Glencoe, 1961, ix, 208. ISBN 025207033X. info
Teaching methods
Seminars where we discuss the literature or online work with literature accessed via the interactive syllabus using short essays and optional Zoom meetings to discuss the literature (on an individual basis).
Assessment methods
(a) Regular attendance in-class OR online work 15%
(b) Presentation in class OR essay 15%
(c) Submission, and positive evaluation of a final paper 70%
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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