Leiden University Student Repository

Theunissen, Tommey (2020)

Critical Engagement with Racial Discourse in a Digital Fantasy World

Master thesis | Asian Studies (60 EC) (MA)

Race in fantasy offers a ‘safe space’ to engage with racial discourse, but races are often narrowed down to one dimensional stereotypes. Guild Wars 2 is a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game that features race in a similar way, but offers insight in various themes regarding racial discourse, postcolonialism and International Relations. Videogames more so than other popular media, have the power to be political because they allow for interactive engagement with the medium. This thesis presents the argument that engagement with fantasy games featuring racial discourse can open up valuable and critical discussions of multiculturalism, the meaning of race, Orientalism and postcolonialism in our real life societies.

race

fantasy

postcolonialism

Orientalism

game studies

International Relations

Author

Theunissen, Tommey

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Japan

Supervisors

Nakamura, Mari

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en