Women gamers: Gender performativities in female eSports consumption

ABSTRACT Purpose: Women’s increasing interest in eSports is an emblematic phenomenon. However, they have been facing discriminatory sexist practices based on a discourse focused on establishing gender inferiority. Thus, the present research aims to investigate how gender performativities are produced in eSports consumption by women gamers. Originality/value: Due to a lack of discussions about female eSports consumption, the current study explores gaps in consumer culture research literature based on theoretical and epistemological concerns. Butlerian concepts of performativity are used to help better understand the conduct produced in discussions about female eSports consumption. Design/methodology/approach: An interpretive content analysis (ICA) of 44 interviews was carried out to help better understand women gamers’ perception of their experience in games, and in the cultural scenario itself, the eSports consumers’ social network is formed by both practitioners and game enthusiasts. Findings: The current analytical effort identified two dimensions: “Fight like a girl!” and “Girls just want to have fun!”. It was possible to perceive that even gender performativities with different interests work as gender discourse reproducers and spreaders in both dimensions when they take place without due diligence. Ultimately, this is a complex market dispositif capable of leading the eSports scenario to a patriarchal system among its consumers. Resumo Objetivo: O crescente interesse das mulheres pelos eSports é um fenômeno emblemático. Contudo, elas vêm enfrentando práticas sexistas discriminatórias baseadas em um discurso associado ao estabelecimento da inferioridade de gênero. Assim, o objetivo da presente pesquisa é investigar como as performatividades de gênero são produzidas no consumo de eSports por mulheres gamers. Originalidade/valor: O presente estudo explora lacunas na literatura da abordagem cultural da pesquisa do consumidor, com base em proposições teóricas e epistemológicas, devido à falta de discussões que recorram aos conceitos butlerianos de performatividade para ajudar a compreender melhor as condutas produzidas nas discussões sobre o consumo feminino de eSports. Design/metodologia/abordagem: Foi realizada uma análise de conteúdo interpretativa (ACI) em 44 entrevistas de modo a compreender a percepção das mulheres gamers sobre sua experiência nos jogos e no próprio cenário cultural – as redes sociais de consumidores de eSports é formada por pratican