DİJİTAL OYUNLARDA KADIN VE ERKEK TEMSİLİNİN TOPLUMSAL CİNSİYET İŞARETLERİ BAĞLAMINDA DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

One of the factors that have a strong influence on learning gender roles in the media. When the contents in the media are evaluated according to Albert Bandura’s social learning theory, it is seen that the media can affect the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals through observation. Digital games with a wide range of users, including children and young people, can affect their players in different ways. In this study, digital games, one of the influential factors in learning, were examined in the context of gender ques. Within the scope of the study, Grand Theft Auto V, FIFA 20, Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege, and NBA 2K19, which are among the best-selling games of 2019 worldwide, were selected as samples and evaluated using content and descriptive analysis methods. As a result, it has been determined that games generally repeat and support gender inequality. ABSTRACT Unlike the concept of biological sex, the concept of gender expresses the behavioral patterns expected from the individual in society due to their gender. Gender can emerge as an egalitarian or inequality-based perception. Although many factors can be effective in learning gender perception, today media stands out as a powerful influence among these factors. The effect of digital games on learning gender perception is undeniable. With technological developments, games are now produced in a very realistic way and players feel themselves in the game. Digital games, which can cause individuals to change their thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors, are also effective in learning gender perception. This study aimed to determine how gender perception is represented in digital games that affect learning through observation on players. As a sample, the most purchased digital games of 2019, Theft Auto and 2K19 were selected to be analyzed. The gender inequality that will be detected in digital games in the study will make it easier to understand and evaluate male-female relationships more objectively. The findings of the study were analyzed under two main headings: “The Gender in the Foreground in Game Promotion and the Gender and Position of the Characters in the Game”.