This book provides an in-depth, feminist and sociological analysis of Gamergate, a major social movement and anti-feminist harassment campaign. Gamergate provides a clear example of both how a modern anti-feminist 'backlash' is enacted, and how feminists in the digital age respond. Chapters connect Gamergate to the broader Men's Rights Activism (MRA) political movement, examining men's anxieties surrounding what they see as an erosion of male privilege, their conflation of privilege with rights, as well as their use of social media to harass and attack women as a response to their perceived oppression. Likewise, the author analyses the online strategies used by feminists to respond to this backlash, how social media is harnessed to build a feminist movement, the effectiveness of these online strategies, and the parallels that these actions have with those from previous waves of feminism. Finally, the author reflects on what has changed with regards to MRA, online harassment, and digital feminism after the height of Gamergate.
This book will be of interest to scholars in Gender Studies, Sociology, and Media Studies.
1. Introduction.- 2. Men's Rights Activism.- 3. Gamers and Gamergate.- 4. Militant Meninism: The Militaristic Discourse of Anti-Feminism.- 5. Feminist Retaliation in the Digital Age.- 6. Changes Following Gamergate.- 7. Conclusion.
Jessica O'Donnell is an independent scholar with a PhD in Sociology from Northumbria University, UK and an MA in Gender Studies (Research Methods) from the University of Leeds, UK. She has published in
Media, Culture and Society and worked as a research assistant for multiple feminist research groups.
