Abstract
From the science fiction fan clubs of the 1930s to the modern gamers, devoted fans have found one another and formed groups bonded over their shared interest. As groups formed, social identities began to emerge, distinguishing ingroups and outgroups. Social identity theory helps to explain the formation of groups as well as inevitable competition over resources and power. As technology became more sophisticated, fans were able to communicate with greater ease facilitating ingroup social identification. The inherent properties of video games reinforce both the cooperation among ingroup members as well as the rivalry with outgroups. Understanding the mechanisms within video games as well as the affordances of CMC and social media help to explain the group dynamics that support the Gamergate social identity.
TopIntroduction
Unlike the gatekeeping, one-to-many communication models of most media publishers in the 1920s, early science fiction publisher Hugo Gernsback created space for many-to-many dialogues in his magazine Amazing Stories. Through the letters pages, the editor often responded to fan queries as well as allowed for direct fan-to-fan communication (Knight, 1978). Gernsback, whether he knew it or not, was following a basic tenet of media communication theory: increasing the amount of available communication channels increases audience engagement. It worked. His niche magazine managed to stay afloat even with a small audience during a time of economic instability. Plus, the intensity of his audience’s devotion to the genre increased.
By 1930, fans who met through these letter pages started to communicate independently with one another, moving beyond the boundaries of the magazine. They formed local fan groups and correspondence clubs. In 1934, Gernsbeck made the fandom official by forming the Science Fiction League, which granted charters to the clubs and organized fan conventions. Although in its infancy, the science fiction fandom began to fracture immediately. On one side were the true believers, the fans who believed science fiction could inspire a new era of science and democracy. On the other, fans who just loved the stories and held no greater ambitions than to continue engaging with them (Knight, 1978; Nevela-Lee, 2016).
By 2014, countless fandoms had fully established themselves online through social media and fan-centric communities social forums. The same communication characteristics that Gernsbeck used to increase engagement in the 1920s have facilitated even stronger fanbases for nearly every entertainment genre. Fans connect directly to one another as well as have ample opportunities, both online and through conventions, to communicate with creators. Similar to their early science fiction predecessors, fractures among groups are not only frequent but have escalated well beyond the boundaries of fandom, expedited by the affordances of social media, online capabilities, and the characteristics of video games themselves.
The group dynamics of early science fiction fans followed a pattern recognizable through Social Identity Theory (Mead, 1937). As fans found each other, they formed groups based first on their shared identity – the level of passion felt for science fiction – then formed deeper bonds through other mutual characteristics. In this process, the dissimilarities between different fan groups became more distinct. Social Identity Theory (SIT) explains that as ingroups develop based on common attributes, outgroups become more distinguished by their differences. Group members begin to distinguish themselves through the traits shared with fellow members as well as by the differences they have with those not in their community (Sherif et al., 1961). These dissimilarities start to become more profound than the shared similarities as groups compete over resources. Conflict predictably ensues.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Competition: Goal-oriented behaviors typically in a zero-sum challenge in which a competitor’s goal is secondary.
Gamergate: An extended online, public harassment campaign against female video game creators, players and critics, overwhelmingly perpetuated by white, cis-male video game players forced to confront the rapidly diversifying demographics and economic realities of a changing industry and pastime.
Rivalry: Behavior specifically targeting a group or individual in which humiliation or besting is the intended goal.
Futurians: An early science fiction fan group who believed in that the liberal and scientific ideology inherent in much of the genre should be a way of life for humanity, above all other goals.
Ingroup: Individuals who consider themselves and other likeminded people as belonging to the same groups, holding common sets of goals, behaviors and belief systems.
Outgroup: Individuals who do not belong to a person’s ingroup; and adhere to an oppositional or different set of goals, behaviors and belief systems.
Social Identity Theory: As ingroups develop based on common attributes, outgroups become more distinguished by their differences. As groups compete over resources, conflict develops.
Social Identification: Defining one’s self, according to the common goals, behaviors and belief systems ascribed by a larger group identity.
Computer-Mediated Communication: Communication among two or more individuals facilitated and mediated completely through a computer or other electronic device.