Diversity in Utopian Futurism: Analyzing Queer Identity Construction Through Language in I was a Teenage Exocolonist

This study deals with identity construction through language in video games. Queer Game Studies is a relatively young field, and while queer representation in video games has been researched before (Látal, 2022; Pulos, 2013), less academic focus has been put on communicating characters’ identities to the player through a game’s writing. By taking a Queer approach to linguistic research, this study integrated contextuality and fluidity (Motschenbacher, 2011). It focused specifically on polyamory and other consensual non-monogamous (CNM) identities, as research on it is scarce, and only managed to detach itself from associations to infidelities and affairs in academics from the early 2000s (Barker and Landridge, 2010; Cardoso et al., 2021). This thesis aimed to answer the question: how does the writing of character interactions in the game I Was a Teenage Exocolonist reflect the diversity of queer identities? It did so by analyzing two separate aspects: queer identity construction as...Show moreThis study deals with identity construction through language in video games. Queer Game Studies is a relatively young field, and while queer representation in video games has been researched before (Látal, 2022; Pulos, 2013), less academic focus has been put on communicating characters’ identities to the player through a game’s writing. By taking a Queer approach to linguistic research, this study integrated contextuality and fluidity (Motschenbacher, 2011). It focused specifically on polyamory and other consensual non-monogamous (CNM) identities, as research on it is scarce, and only managed to detach itself from associations to infidelities and affairs in academics from the early 2000s (Barker and Landridge, 2010; Cardoso et al., 2021). This thesis aimed to answer the question: how does the writing of character interactions in the game I Was a Teenage Exocolonist reflect the diversity of queer identities? It did so by analyzing two separate aspects: queer identity construction as portrayed through dateable characters by the game’s writers, and players’ interpretation of these. To analyze this topic, the current study combined the concepts of intersectionality, mononormativity, identity construction through language, and Tactics of Intersubjectivity as part of an interdisciplinary framework. Particular focus was put on polyamorous relationships and relationship negotiation among dateable characters, and how they communicate these to the player’s character. The generated themes made apparent how the game’s writers portrayed queer identities particularly through their relationship negotiations with other characters and the player’s. In the case of polyamory relationships and identities on the asexual spectrum, both involved characters establish their queerness through relationship terms and boundaries. Most characters used the Tactic of Adequation to signal closeness with other characters’ identities, or used the Tactic of Distinction to establish a boundary they expected would distance themselves from the other. Players of Exocolonist expressed mostly understanding of the queer identities in the game. However, as players drew on their lived experiences to formulate opinions, a clear mix was observed between mononormative expectations of in-game relationships by some, and associations with external queer identities by others. The results highlight that queer identities in Exocolonist are mostly recognized if the player is already familiar with the identities expressed. This research aimed to establish a well-developed case that constructs the foundation for future research on different games and different identities. As the focus of this study was on internal validity, future research that analyzes external validity is recommended. Additionally, as the scope of the research only allowed for analysis of CNM relationships and asexual identities, further research on other aspects of intersectional identities, such as ethnicity and gender identities, is requiredShow less

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Diversity in Utopian Futurism: Analyzing Queer Identity Construction Through Language in I was a Teenage Exocolonist