I was recently contacted by a journalist from a major news outlet about a story on why women who play video games shun the ‘gamer’ label.

Women Who Play Games Shun ‘Gamer’ Label
About half of both sexes play the games, but men more readily adopt the identity, a Pew survey…Read on nytimes.​com

He simply asked me one question: my reaction to this phenomenon. I provided several paragraphs worth of information including citations from scholars who have conducted research on this very topic. Much of what we know about the constructed label of gamer and why women shun the designation of ‘gamer’ came from the research conducted by Adrienne Shaw (and I told him that).

Everything I cited and forwarded to him essentially was her work. Yet in this high profile news outlet and story, she was not mentioned once. 

Maybe there is some kind of disconnect between academics and journalists. We write differently. We research differently. We disseminate knowledge differently. But there should be more incorporation and inclusion of the research that academics do (and that public bloggers and writers always use). We are more than our abstracts!

This also has me thinking about male privilege inherent in citing practices in academia. I recently attended a conference and I heard a story of a woman whose work was not cited because a man had conducted the same research and reached similar conclusions. The woman informed the person that her work was in fact performed way before her male counterpart and that he, in fact, should have cited her.

While I hope cases like this are rare, this example highlights the constant struggle of women in academia having their work acknowledged as valid contributions to the literature and field.

As academics, we must end the practice of only privileging certain voices while marginalizing others. This is a call to action to make women’s work visible in academia. Using the hashtag #CiteHerWork, recognize and acknowledge your own work or someone else’s work who is seminal to any given discipline and field.

I’ll start:

#AdrienneShaw #GameStudies #CiteHerWorkShaw, A. (2012). “Do You Identify as a Gamer?: Gender, race, sexuality, and gamer identity.” New Media and Society 14(1): 25-41. DOI: 10.1177/1461444811410394
http://nms.sagepub.com/content/14/1/28

This article was published by the Lexington Herald here:

As many of you are aware, Printer giant Lexmark recently fired about 120 workers at their Juarez location.  They were essentially fired for seeking a $0.35 raise and improved work conditions. 
American’s (especially in Kentucky where Lexmark is headquartered) who are criticizing Mexican laborers for demanding more, recall your own history that is currently influencing your on-the-job luxuries. Do you realize that we enjoy our safe work conditions because of the previous strikes by our coalminers (especially in Kentucky) , postal workers, textile workers, car factory workers, railroad workers, sanitation workers, teachers…hell even AT&T workers went on strike! These White Dudes exercised their constitutionally protected right to assemble and protest.

When one halts their labor, it is a result of on-going neglect and tension between the worker and the employer.  These workers aren’t lazy.  They aren’t trying to get rich. They are aware of the power they have and how they are exploited. 

While Lexmark has recently reported losses, CEO Paul Rooke’s salary and compensation has steadily increased over the past four years.  While some may argue that increasing the hourly wage of the some of the most expendable labor in a company is not financially feasible or sound, you must get a clearer picture on our corporate elites.  The next time you feel sorry for Lexmark, remember they just acquired Kofax for 1 billion – cash. Yall didn’t hear me.  ONE BILLION DOLLARS CASH MONEY.  They got the money. They just don’t want to give it to their most exploited laborers.

We’ve been sold this myth and lie that increasing hourly wages for some of our most menial jobs would do more harm than good.  The only harm that these increase could pose is a threat to capitalism as the point and purpose is to maximize profits at all cost.  Ford Pinto anyone?  Sharing the wealth disrupts the system that benefits the few at the very top.  But it’s time to share the wealth, literally.
We must end the trend of neglecting our most vulnerable workers.  It’s only a matter of time before you too are subject to the unfair practices on your job and you will utilize your First Amendment right to assemble and petition the government to redress grievances (yeah, the constitution protects more than just the right to bear arms).    

And take a look at what their demands are: 1) better working conditions, 2) a living wage, 3) the recognition of the right to form independent unions, 4) a halt to sexual harassment, and 5) legal protection from handling hazardous chemicals.  These are some of the most basic work conditions that many Americans enjoy every day.  But you want to frame these Mexican workers as being lazy and demanding too much? Shame on you. 

We somehow have lost site of the importance of unions.  They ensure equitable wages and fair working conditions.  And to provide an example of how far capital and corporations will go to resist unions, many organizers in Kentucky were shot at, beaten, and stabbed all for seeking safer working conditions for their families.  The message was and is loud and clear: you don’t matter.  

#I Stand In Solidarity with the Maquiladora Workers of Ciudad Juárez

Kishonna L. Gray, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University.  She actively blogs about social justice issues at www.kishonnagray.com, www.nymgamer.com, and at https://kinja.com/lachezbippy.  Journey with her on Twitter @DrGrayThaPhx.