Symbolic Violence in the Language of Game Descriptions of Blackness: The Case of Pathfinder

The present article analyzes the impact of discourses surrounding Black ethnicities in tabletop role playing games. I use discursive thematic analysis to examine the descriptions of individuals represented as Black in the Pathfinder game setting, a game system related to Dungeons & Dragons. I cr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inGames and culture Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 761 - 782
Main Author Dashiell, Steven
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.09.2024
Subjects
pathfinder
symbolic violence
tabletop role playing games
critical discourse analysis
race
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Summary:The present article analyzes the impact of discourses surrounding Black ethnicities in tabletop role playing games. I use discursive thematic analysis to examine the descriptions of individuals represented as Black in the Pathfinder game setting, a game system related to Dungeons & Dragons. I critically analyze descriptions in the game materials that discuss in-game Black ethnicities. I demonstrate how the discourse represents a symbolic violence surrounding blackness. While the descriptions provide imagery and word use to highlight the positive aspects of the characters, the overemphasis signals stereotypes of a conceptual “other.” These characters then become examples of “good Blacks” that differ from “bad” individuals. The positive imagery provokes a stereotype threat, and a need to uphold this “good Black” mentality, lest one becomes the Other. While thinking of race and ethnicity in tabletop gaming continues to evolve, even advancements fall into tropes which reinforce symbolic violence.
ISSN:1555-4120
1555-4139
DOI:10.1177/15554120231176630