RESEARCH PAPERS
I've provided a summary of my most recent research papers or papers-in-progress. I'm happy to provide samples or copies for review upon request. The majority of my research has been on virtual theory topics such as virtual identity, representation in digital spaces, and digital communications techologies.
(Dis)Ability on (Dis)Play
July 2020
Presentations:
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17th Annual Tampere Game Research Lab Seminar, Centre of excellence in Game Culture Studies
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Digital Heroisms Conference, University of Glasgow
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Canadian Game Studies Association Conference, Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Western University - Cancelled
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Abstract: Conventional representations of disability routinely shape disabilities as super powers or alien(Crawford, 2017), once again creating a perception of Otherness outside normalcy. So how do we consider spaces where super powers are the benchmark of normalcy? Video games often rely on super-human abilities in their protagonists in order to create experiences of spectacle and adventure(Geraci, 2012). When those games offer a level playing field in terms of protagonist selection between characters of whole body and altered bodies, does disability cease existing? Or is it a reimagined concept of Garland Thomson’s “the freak as spectacle”? Is the spectacle then the ability of disabled bodies to perform? Blizzard’s 2016 first-person shooter game Overwatch presents an ever-growing pool of protagonists whose abilities unanimously embody the definition of superhuman, but whose bodies range from the conventional, ubiquitous, abled body of a soldier to bodies with prosthetics, cybernetics, and mental disorders. The power balance of the game positions such bodies as “normal” while also striving to create unique embodied experiences within a landscape where spectacle and normalcy are interwoven.
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Overwatch serves as a case study for this paper, which utilizes the concept of disability as freaky to unpack the representation and re-imagination of (dis)ability on (dis)play as both the abject spectacle and the inspiring superhuman. Analysis will consider the body and mind of the various protagonists; assessing the characters on the basis of both in-game ability and official back stories through other media such as comics, video, and press releases – such as they relate to a character’s conceptualization or development – to ascertain the (dis)abled nature of each character. This content analysis will conclude with some initial comparisons to conventional representations of any notable (dis)abilities and present assessments of similarities or differences that might distinguish the protagonist construction of Overwatch as either an intervention against or re-creation of freaky abnormality.
The Horror of the Other: Indigenous Monstrosity in Until Dawn
June 2019

Presentations:
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2020 Popular Culture Association of Canada Conference, Concordia University - Cancelled
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Canadian Game Studies Association Conference, Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, University of British Columbia
Abstract: The entire narrative, source of conflict, and gameplay mechanics are rooted in indigenous culture, from the use of indigenous folklore-based creatures as antagonists to the sole source of indigenous knowledge being a white man, rather than a person from the culture. Tropes of the “mystical native” are engaged through the game’s utilization of ‘totems’ as prophetic sources and stereotypical “native art” decorates the sole inhabited building of the game, which is the setting for a substantial portion of the plot. Indigenous culture serves are the visual dressing of the game while affording no true representation of the people from whom it appropriates. The potential protectors and victors against the mystical enemy are all white. The indigenous culture is always the antagonist, the other, the source of conflict, even historically as documents throughout the game disclose an on-going conflict between the local indigenous people and the rich, white family that bought, and now occupy, the people’s land, a mountain located in rural Alberta. Dialogue by the protagonists questions the claim that the indigenous have any rights to the land over the ‘true owners’, the family who purchased it. Indigenous culture serves as the support and cohesion for the entire game. It is in the land through which the characters explore, the decoration in the home, the enemy they must fight, and the source of knowledge to empower the white heroes, but it is always the other and without its own voice, silenced by the its conquerors, the “heroes”.
Protector vs The Psycho-Killer: Intersections of Masculinity and Mental Illness
March 2017
Presentations:
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Digital Games Research Association Annual Conference, Ritsumeikan University
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School of Media Studies Annual Common Ground Conference, Indiana University
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Society of Cinema and Media Studies, Toronto, Canada
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Canadian Game Studies Association Conference, Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Ryerson University
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Carleton Graduate Caucus: Intersections, Carleton University
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Abstract: The archetypical protector and psycho-killer number among the many tropes at play in horror media. As with film, they permeate horror video games. Even though the medium allows for user agency, to varying degrees, these tropes are heavily reinforced and rarely modifiable. This is very much the case of the 2015 horror video game Until Dawn. The gender roles within the game are heavily delineated and in line with that divide, the role of protector falls squarely in the realm of the masculine initially. As the story unfolds, there is an inevitable shifting of the protector category along the lines of mental health. The game's narrative eventually strips several male characters of their protector status through mental or physical trauma, leading to the conclusion that mental illness is a weakness unbecoming a masculine protector. The paper unpacks this definition of "masculinity" through a thorough intersectional analysis of the game content to not only discern the definition of "mental illness" within the game but also the associations and representations made of mental illness as it relates to hegemonic masculinity. In a society where mental illness is so frequently stigmatized and toxic masculinity problematizes showing weakness as a male, it is important to consider and recognize the impact of this particular intersection in our media, especially considering the growing population of gamers consuming this content.
Virtual Identity Play Dress-Up Box Research Project
April 2014
Presentations:
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International Visual Sociology Association, Concordia University
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10th Anniversary Conference of Canadian Game Studies Association, Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Calgary
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Popular Culture Association of Canada 6th Annual Conference, McGill University
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Carleton Graduate Caucus: Play/Rewind, Carleton University
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Abstract: This research paper is tied to a Second Life build exploring the connection between the identities of the user and the avatar. Users are invited to explore various avatar-modifying items and to respond discussing their experience in their modified states, specifically focusing on the level of comfort in their new bodies as well as which attributes they refused to modify due to being integral to their virtual identity.
My hypothesis is that the majority of users will most likely have a select list of charateristics that are defining of the avatar's identity and that facilitate the connection of the user to the avatar. Due to the vital nature of these attributes, users would be disinclined or complete unwilling to modify the avatar in those areas. Additionally, I suspect that users who have had longer experience in the space and thus more time to become emotionally involved with the avatars, would be more strongly protective of the avatar's defining attributes as well as public perception of the avatar. These users would likely be unwilling to leave the dress-up box space while wearing the provided modifications.
The Hyper-Sexualization of Women in World of Warcraft
April 2013

Presentations:
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International Communication Association 66th Annual Conference, Fukuoka, Japan
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Western Student Research Conference, Western University
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Flaunting It! 10, Undergraduate Conference on Gender and Sexuality, Western University
Abstract: The sexualized representation of women in video games is an often discussed topic. In preparing this case study of the MMORPG World of Warcraft, I considered not only the hyper-sexualized nature of females when compared to their male counterparts but also the perceived rationales behind this design and community reaction to its implementation.
In analyzing all methods of interaction, from avatar customization to auditory communication and animations, it became clear that the level of character sexualization permeates all aspects in which female avatars interact within the virtual world, demonstrating a stark contrast with the representation of male avatars who showed little to no sexual tailoring.
Due to the all-encompassing approach and few player-controlled options, the sexual undertones are inescapable for the player while using a female avatar.
Video Games as a Digital Communications Tool
December 6, 2013
Abstract: Using World of Warcraft as a case study, the key defining concepts of digital communications tools, such as accessibility, cognitive and learning skills, virtual identity, community relationships, and cross-platform interactivity, are considered.
Video games have shifted from solely a source of entertainment to a distinct tool of digital communication. On many levels video games provide such an enriched communications experience that they can no longer be classified solely as a means of entertainment. Digital communications tools are identified by the ability to interact and convey information between two or more people over a software platform. In some ways, this game's design facilitates communication more than mainstream platforms such as social media