Dr. Sara DiazWGST 280: Gender, Sexuality, and Popular CultureGonzaga University

Ideologies of Dominance

Neoliberalism & Domination• Internalized Dominance• The idea that “we” are natural superior to “others”

• Can be based on race, class, gender, nation, religion, ability, etc.

• The assumption that everyone has equal ability to protect themselves from economic disaster is perpetuated by internalized dominance.

• Domination in US history• Slavery • Manifest Destiny

• American Indian Genocide• Monroe Doctrine• Imperialism

Defining Ideology of Dominance

•Conquest, Colonization, Control• Imperialism•Dehumanization•Othering•Aggression, Coercion, Force•Militarism, War, Violence

Video Games

• A mechanism to normalize hegemonic white, heterosexual, masculinity AND, Western Imperialism/cultural supremacy• First person shooter•War strategy games• Combat/fighting games• Flight/battle simulators

Militarism• Our militarized society is

thought to serve a purpose:• Security and Economy• Depression Era economy

salvaged by WWII • What we now have is an

economic system that requires that we be in a state of constant war.

Constant War

• Constant War since 1776 (and long before).• Industrialization during Cold War• Amorphous “War on Terror” maintains the

industry indefinitely.• War is no longer confined to external relations

but structures domestic policy:• War on Poverty• War on Drugs• NOT just metaphors (increased used of military

technology for domestic policing).

Violence Is NOT Easy

• Shoot rates• Civil War 10%• WWI 15%• WWII 20%• Korea 55%• Vietnam 80-95%• Increased shoot rates are only partially

about improved technology technology.

Normalizing Violence

• Desensitization through training • Now occurs pre-enlistment through first-

person shooter video games – Some even developed by the Armed Forces.

• Movies• Toys at aimed at young children (age

compression).• Objectification of “others”• Women, non-white, non-U.S., muslim people

Normalizing Violence

•Hegemonic masculinity is defined in militaristic terms:• Aggressive, dominating, physically

powerful, objectifying.•Hegemonic/militant masculinity is

reproduced through the cultural values:• Aggressive Physical Sports• Competition

Homophobia/Misogyny

• How does hegemonic masculinity rest homophobia and misogyny?

• How are these reinforced in video game play?

Video Games

•How does is militant masculinity normalized in video games?•How are the marks of the ideology of

domination reproduced in video games?

Reminders

• This class ONLY, is cancelled Wednesday and Friday• You have videos to watch!!!• YOU MUST reference the videos in next

week’s blog to show me you watched them!• This may take some creativity on your

part!