Ideological parallels between Gamergate and white supremacy: a thematic content analysis

Abstract

The subject of this thesis is the main online hub of the alt-right video game movement Gamergate, for the purpose of examining if the discourse of Gamergate possesses significant ideological parallels with explicitly White Supremacist movements. Data gathered from a variety of Kotaku in Action threads were analyzed using thematic coding. The results of the analysis indicated a preoccupation with common elements of White Supremacist discourse regarding persecution, gender, and race. The application of Merton’s Insider/Outsider dynamics revealed an extremely rigid ideological divide between those who identify as Gamergate supporters, and those who are external to Gamergate, which are held in deep suspicion as being engaged in a wide-ranging and ill-defined cultural conspiracy. Overall, the discourse of Gamergate supported the hypothesis that Gamergate possesses significant ideological parallels with White supremacy, although Gamergate had a larger emphasis on gender rather then race.