Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Type

Report

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

English

Committee Chair(s)

Jared Colton (committee chair)

Committee

Jared Colton

Committee

Adena Rivera-Dundas

Committee

Xiao Tan

Abstract

This thesis utilizes a mixed-methods approach to examine an online video game player community as a case study to diagnose the underlying reason for widespread hostile behavior, especially towards women, among players in the online gaming sphere. The application of dramatism, a rhetorical theory that breaks down human behavior into elements of drama, reveals that the gaming industry and gaming culture are the likely perpetuators of this issue due to the environments they create and the behaviors they reward. This project is a diagnostic step towards rhetorically alleviating the exclusionary attitude of users in online gaming spaces through further research.

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