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170743 UE Games as social critique (2023W)
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from Mo 18.09.2023 09:00 to Su 24.09.2023 23:55
- Registration is open from Tu 26.09.2023 17:00 to We 27.09.2023 23:59
- Deregistration possible until Tu 31.10.2023 23:59
Details
max. 30 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
- Sunday 08.10. 10:00 - 15:00 Seminarraum 4 2H558 UZA II Rotunde
- Sunday 22.10. 10:00 - 15:00 Seminarraum 4 2H558 UZA II Rotunde
- Sunday 19.11. 10:00 - 15:00 Seminarraum 4 2H558 UZA II Rotunde
- Sunday 10.12. 10:00 - 15:00 Seminarraum 4 2H558 UZA II Rotunde
- Sunday 21.01. 10:00 - 15:00 Seminarraum 4 2H558 UZA II Rotunde
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
The final grade will be based on three partial grades:-a short online test after the introductory part (30% of the final grade - up to 6 points)
-two grades given to each student for their activity during the discussions (35% each - 7 points each)The students will be able to use any materials and resources they wish to use during the test, as it will test their ability to apply critical theory concepts to case studies, not knowledge of the concepts themselves.
-two grades given to each student for their activity during the discussions (35% each - 7 points each)The students will be able to use any materials and resources they wish to use during the test, as it will test their ability to apply critical theory concepts to case studies, not knowledge of the concepts themselves.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
The final grade will depend on the percentage of points earned by the student during both partial assessments, as follows:20-19 points: 1
18-16 points: 2
15-13 points: 3
12-10 points: 4
9 or less points: 5 (negative assessment)
18-16 points: 2
15-13 points: 3
12-10 points: 4
9 or less points: 5 (negative assessment)
Examination topics
The short online test will concern all the topics introduced in Part One and in the most important items on the reading list (pointed out to students during the October meetings), while the activity during the following parts will require the students to be able to use key terms and ideas introduced in Part One.
Reading list
-Berry, David M., Critical theory and the digital, Bloomsbury Academic 2014
-Buchanan, Ian, A dictionary of critical theory, Oxford University Press 2010
-Feenberg, Andrew, Transforming technology: a critical theory revisited, Oxford University Press 2002
-Kowert, Rachel and Thorsten Quandt (editors), The Video Game Debate 2: Revisiting the Physical, Social, and Psychological Effects of Video Games, Routledge 2020
-Mäyrä, Frans, An Introduction to Game Studies, SAGE Publications Ltd 2008
-Rich, Jennifer and Mark Addis, An Introduction to Critical Theory, Humanities-Ebooks, LLP 2007
-Rush, Fred (editor), The Cambridge companion to critical theory, Cambridge University Press 2004Further reading, and gaming, will be suggested for each topic after the students' vote.
-Buchanan, Ian, A dictionary of critical theory, Oxford University Press 2010
-Feenberg, Andrew, Transforming technology: a critical theory revisited, Oxford University Press 2002
-Kowert, Rachel and Thorsten Quandt (editors), The Video Game Debate 2: Revisiting the Physical, Social, and Psychological Effects of Video Games, Routledge 2020
-Mäyrä, Frans, An Introduction to Game Studies, SAGE Publications Ltd 2008
-Rich, Jennifer and Mark Addis, An Introduction to Critical Theory, Humanities-Ebooks, LLP 2007
-Rush, Fred (editor), The Cambridge companion to critical theory, Cambridge University Press 2004Further reading, and gaming, will be suggested for each topic after the students' vote.
Association in the course directory
Last modified: Su 08.10.2023 16:27
An introduction to the most important aspects of social critique and critical theory.Right after this initial part, I’ll conduct a survey among students, asking which aspects of social critique in gaming are most important to them. Having the results of this survey, I will design further classes with their preferences in mind. The list of topic will include the following, with a non-exhaustive list of sample games worth analyzing for each:Feminism: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, #Feminism nanolarp anthology, Bluebeard’s Bride
Ecology: Frostpunk, Final Fantasy VII, Werewolf: Heart of the Forest, Pokémon, Edelweiss
Pacifism: This War of Mine, Undertale, Age of Empires (and strategy games in general)
Colonialism: Age of Empires, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, Heaven's Vault
Inequality and capitalism: Monopoly, Cyberpunk 2077, An Inner Darkness, Comrades: A Revolutionary RPG
Queerness: Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Monsterhearts II, Life Is Strange, Hades, I Was a Teenage ExocolonistGoals
The goal of this course is to make the students familiar with the potential of games as social critique. It will also deepen their knowledge of various branches of critical theory in general. Additionally, as many of the games I plan to use as examples are released on open licenses and relatively easy to modify, this course can be a gateway into creating socially-minded games.Methods
The initial part will be a lecture, while further classes will combine lecture elements with discussions, starting with me presenting tools and concepts useful in analyzing given games, and then inviting the students to discuss the application of those concepts to the games they’ve acquainted themselves with.