Research field esports – Negotiating the notion of the nation and discussing value formations

Postdoc project

Video game cultures are central parts of contemporary societies. In addition to economic interests, due to the economic significance of the video game industry, this also involves socio-cultural and political discourses. Video games and video game cultures can be understood as expressions of globalized media cultures. However, they also have to be perceived in their interconnection with socio-political and contextual discourses. The broad visibility of video game cultures and their connection with political interests is diverse and ranges from individual actions in political election campaigns, for example in the US election campaign in 2020, to social discussions, such as controversies regarding first-person-shooter games, to the economically and politically increasingly important growing field of esports. It is precisely in this diverse and multivocal field that the different interests and positions of various groups are clearly evident. In addition to political stakeholders, international organizations and (multi-)national teams, participants and spectators naturally play a central role in this field. Participation takes place on site at events but also simultaneously on online platforms.

Lisa Kienzl researches the role of the notion of the nation, the function of power and gender hierarchies as well as the role of religion and value systems in relation to identity formations in the field of esports. Various actors reproduce, transform, discuss and interpret these categories in national and international contexts and fan cultures. In addition to the discussion of values of sport in general, power relationships and identity constructions are also negotiated. In particular, specific values in relation to game cultures become visible within the field as well as in broader socio-political discourses. Ethnographical methods (participatory observation, field notes and qualitative interviews) as well as a discourse-analytical focus on broader socio-cultural debates is used for data collection in this research project.

Considering ethical questions, negotiating identity and discussing the position of technology in society are vital elements in the field of esports. In addition, discussions within the field build on broader socio-cultural discourses, engage with them and bring them back into the field. The social entanglement of video game cultures and in particular the field of esports allows discussion of central topics and provides information about negotiation processes and identity formation processes.