Proposal + Questions
I have spent countless hours laboring in trying to find my “ideal” research topic. At the beginning of the semester I was so focused on trying to do my research on the Deaf and hearing impaired. However as time went on I became aware of how ignorant I was in the deaf culture and hearing impaired. Doing many hours of topic research led me to nothing in particular that I could focus on. This has caused me great strife and agony. Also I have taken on a partner that has become interested in the broad topic of the Deaf and hearing impaired. I have now come to the conclusion that I can not, take on the topic of Deaf and the hearing impaired for my research. This comes to me at a great cost because I have stumbled through half of a semester trying to focus on a topic that does not have my heart. I now choose to do my research on video gaming culture of college students.
This new topic actually has presence in my life since both my older brother and younger brother are avid gamers. This idea didn’t really come to me until I was in the Office of Financial Services at the College of Charleston. The article was talking about how famous men are avid gamers and how they receive ridicule from mainstream culture because video games are a “boys” activity. This to me was of great importance because I realized just how important video games are to American culture, and more importantly, how great their influence is on “boys” my age. I can remember back to the age of about six years and watching my older brother playing on Atari and associated games with that system. Following a time line from six years of age to my age now, I am seeing the importance of video games and the culture associated thereof. Keeping up the neighbor mentality set in and my brothers and I had to keep up with the gaming system and associated games with those systems that were most popular. But this is no separate incident. Boys, and their parents, all over America and abroad had to keep up with the most popular game and gaming system. Thus the great “race for the moon” of the gaming systems began and it has never been the same since.
Gaining entrée to the gaming community shouldn’t be that hard of a task since I have been in and out of it since childhood. However I do not own any gaming systems and have not played video games in quite sometime. This does not hinder me from gaining entrance however because the gaming community is very open and friendly. This research can begin as of right now because I know a great number of video gamers and getting into the culture of video gaming only requires you to buy the respective gaming system and game. Also although the gaming community is rather splintered, that does not mean one can not gain access to a particular niche of gaming community. An example would be if you are an X-box 360tm owner or a Sony Play-Stationtm owner and do not own the other that does not mean that you can not gain access to the gaming community. All you must do is have a gaming system and a game.
The physicality of my research site will not change because my site will be the gaming community and associated gaming equipment. If it does change it wouldn’t be the community itself, but rather the means to join the community through a different gaming system. This site will allow me to do a great deal of participant observation of varying degrees, unobtrusive observation, and interviews using both audio and written.
I truly think I have found a topic that will not only shine light on the gaming community, but also give an insight to a culture that is not fully understood. To be a gamer is to be a “boy” or a “girl” in a grown up world. Through this research however, I hope to show that even “grown” and “responsible” people play video games and lead a mainstream American life.
Some sample questions:
How long have you been playing video games? What was it like to play video games growing up? Did your parents buy you your system and games b/c it was what you wanted or did you tell your parents thats what you wanted b/c your friends had it? What games did you play growing up and which one was your favorite? least favorite? How often do you play? What kind of games do you play? What system do you use? Which system do you find superior? Which system has the best games? Do you play with friends? if so, how often?
Second Set of questions will focus on just this semester thus far.
What games if any have you purchased this semester? How many hours on average this semester have you spent playing video games? Do you think that playing video games effects any aspect of your daily life? Has playing video games changed how you view the world? Do you as a person think that playing video games helps or hinders you? If either, both, or neither why so? do you think you will continue to play video games when you finish college? How about when you get married? Have Kids?
Set 3 questions will be a follow up of remainding questions from Set 2.
All Interviews will be done in both audio and written “fast” note style.
-Byron_