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why i love my cat x

For my Dissertation im interested in exploring how a new wave of independent ttrpgs and rpgs destabilize and recontextualize common game desgin notions that can be consiered colonnial do their nature of acquiring power/wealth (scores,money,levels, land).

 I will examine how these assumptions of game design rules came into being, how they would eventually evolve into trends  of the triple A market of today and how these same design rules can apply to more comunal, constructive aproaches to play that could lead to de stabilizing western modes of though related to colonialism

In the example above , Pathologic 2, the player is actively hindered by everyone else to incredible degress , constantly being lied too,mistrusted and attacked. The game never complys with the player, why would it? your and outsider, who knows neither their lives or their ways.

Themes and issues

.-Why is violence commonly associated with games , not only in a consumer level but a development level?

-how does performance affect the way players interact with a respective game?

-How can violence tell stories were theres not an active form of coloniazation?

-Does player agency affect the levels at which they “interact” with the game?

-What are examples of decolonized mechanics?

-How can reward systems change?

-DO GAMES HAVE TO BE FUN?

Methods And Sources

-Assiting video conferences that explore these ideas

-GDC talk archives

-Interviews with marginilized creators

-Run actual play sessions to see group reacts to a game

-Performance as a method of research (playing games as performance)

-Create simple systems that could incite decolonnized mechanics

Visual Material

-Game Artbooks

-A diverse range of rpgs , not only in mechanics but country it originates from (Pathologic, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Disco Elysium, Ten Candles)

-Box Art?

For my dissertation I want to research if people have a common preference in animation, in the way we read images. I will be looking at 2D and 3D animations. 

Themes and Issues

What makes us like a specific type of media more than the other?  Is our preference based on intuition or nostalgia? (or both)

The maker and the viewer’s point of view. 

Realism vs. fantasy. 

What happens if a movie looks 3D, but is actually 2D? 

Methods and sources

Analysis of various movies based on society’s reaction. 

Do research on what goes into the making of a 2D animation vs. 3D. 

Interview makers and viewers, different standpoints.

Looking at research on human touch, and it’s importance in animation. As well as imperfections. 

Visual Material

Examples of 2D and 3D animated movies

For my dissertation, I want to explore and examine Feminism in visual media and its impact on the audience, especially young children. This topic overlaps a bit with my previous essay topic: Feminism in games. However, I would like to study current Feminism in art in more depth.

By using Disney princess movies that are released in these 10 years (2010-2020) as a source, I will discuss about their both positive and negative sides as feministic media. In addition, I want to see how their impact on children: did it change children’s behaviour/favour/perspective as female/etc.

Themes and Ideas

Feminism in 21st Century

Traditional Stereotypes: princess and woman

Costume

Social role

Role in the movie: passive vs. active

Gender Hegemony

Heterosexuality

Multinational women: Black and Asian

Methods and Sources

Questionnaires via Internet

Interview with children age under/over 14

under 14- to see an impact on the young generation

over 14- to see how many people appreciate Disney Princess Movie as a feministic media 

Feminist movie reviews

‘Girls do not need a prince’ activism

Books and articles

Visual Material

Disney Movies:

Princess and the Frog(2009)

Tangled(2010)

Brave(2012)

Frozen(2013)

Moana(2016) 

Ralph Breaks the Internet(2018)

Frozen 2(2019) 

Fashion: girls’ costume

Screenshots of social media

For my dissertation I want to explore the relationship between semiotics and race specifically pertaining to the coding of black female/femme bodies.

Themes and Ideas

The Idea of semiotics as a study of sign systems

Racial coding in media and its subsequent impact on the experience of black women 

Black femme bodies as sexually exploitative projects

Fetishising and its impact

Transnational feminism 

Methods and Sourcing

Archival Accounts

Research papers on profiling and coding

Marlon B Ross: Race Rape

Messenger, Watson, Mack :Violence against Black Bodies

Black literature & Novels: Things fall apart, Beloved, Suturing Black Bodies

Visual Material 

Depictions of Black female characters media 20th-21st century

Common codes such as:

‘The Magical Negro’

‘The Black Best Friend’

Is masculinity toxic?

What exactly do we mean by ‘masculinity’ and in what ways can it be said to be harmful?

How has toxic masculinity evolved/ manifested itself in art/visual media/illustration/animation throughout the years?

How has the definition of masculinity been portrayed in visual media and how is it harmful?

Themes & Issues

Varied masculinity/multiple masculinities

Feminism

Pre 20th century masculinity

Homophobia

Patriarchy, hegemonic masculinity

Ww2

Manbox 

Methods & Sources

Interview men different age groups

Questionnaires 

Is masculinity toxic? By Andrew Smiler (book)

Visual Material

Look at adverts catered towards men 

Gillete 

For my dissertation I am exploring how anger fuels or relates to art practice, specifically looking at two artist and comparing what importance anger has to their work. The artist I am looking at are Mark Rothko and Anni Albers.

Themes and Issues:

Art therapy, autography, materiality and meaning, abstract art and how it emotes, art analysis, art history, psychology in art

Methods and sources:

Analysis, archival research, gallery visits

Visual material: