Speaker
Description
Esports is a digital form of sport that is often imagined as individualistic and meritocratic activity where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed independent of their physical body. While several studies in the field of new media and digital cultures have demonstrated how the physical body matters in virtual environments as well, there still persists an idea in esports and sports environments that the virtual performances of players in online environments are disconnected from the physical bodies of the players. Consequently, esports is often seen as form of sports that has the potential of being a level playing field for both men and women players.
In this article, I will draw on a set of empirical studies that were conducted as part of my recently completed doctoral dissertation on gendered power relations and inequalities in sports-themed esports. Together, these studies have shown how virtual expressions of gender and embodiment are closely connected to the physical body of the players. In the discussion part, I will emphasize some theoretical aspects related to gender performativity (Butler, 1993) and online embodiment (Sundén, 2003, 2012) based on the findings in my dissertation. In the conclusion, I argue that researchers must continue to ask how esports environments inform are informed by the physical and gendered bodies of the players.
