著者

野口 李沙

出版者

JAPAN SOCIETY FOR GENDER STUDIES

雑誌

日本ジェンダー研究 (ISSN:18841619)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.2008, no.11, pp.29-41, 2008-09-15 (Released:2010-03-17)

参考文献数

17

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This paper explores the process of social construction of gender through the use of media, specifically on video games. The paper focused on the game playing behaviors among male and female adolescent age 5 to 15. The data collected from the governmental statistics published from 1999 to 2006, and the data from official white paper from entertainment suppliers' associations. In order to clarifying the social/cultural aspect on game playing behavior in Japan, data from the U.S. statistics were presented as comparison. This paper tries to interpret the usages of video-game within Japanese contemporary society, and observe social/cultural context that to construct the uniqueness of popular culture, which deeply oriented to media technology.According to CESA (Computer Entertainment Suppliers' Association), nearly 70% of the entire software was produced for male children users in Japan. The compelling fact found through the data analysis from CESA in Japan and ESA (Entertainment Suppliers' Association) in U.S. was nearly half of the game users were children under age 15 in Japan. The users' sexuality is vividly described and shown the clear contrast between male and female in Japan than in the U.S Male children are obviously targeted as main game users, while female children were absent as users. What portrays here is an example of media's construction of gender-bias. Game industry defines children as “boy” gender, and ignored “girl” gender during the process of marketing. This finding presents the strict gender-biased ideology within Japanese society.What game culture portrays is the rigid gender-bias, and the passivity of users which far from nurturing one's creativity. To look at video-game as a toy for children, the playfulness of the game need to be re-examined. Toys can help one's psychological/physical development by training one's ability for socialization. Since video-games exhibit the rigid gender-bias that to determinate the user's perception toward the world, playing games fail to enhance the users' creativity. Games are not perfect toys for children since they determine the users' gender, but they are clearly exhibiting the social construction of gender.As conclusion, paper states the necessity of media literacy to educate majority to manage the critical thinking on media's presentation. In order to create the constructive relationship with media, to promote media literacy in general population is significantly meaningful and essential in contemporary society.29