Volume 1
Issue 1
16 March 1998
Gender
Inequalities in Education
The
Gender Gap in the Computing Field
Whitmore
High School: A Case Study of Computer Usage
Computer
Projects for Mother and Daughter
Expanding
Your Horizons in Math and Science
Computers
and Technology: Differences In Gender
Gender
Bias In Educational Software
Educational
Software For Girls
- Purple Moon: Thanks but No Thanks for Rockett's New School
- Girl Tech - Not Girl Friendly Enough
- Her Interactive
- Broderbund - Classroom Software Done Right
Computers
In the Classroom: What is the Effect on the Gender
Gap?
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Her
Interactive, a girls' software publisher, began
with a title which offered no break from gender
stereotypes: "McKenzie
& Co." In this program, "girls interact
with cool friends and, along the way, make
important decisions relating to their social lives
(including dating, slumber parties and the prom),
and they also learn to find the balance between
school work and family responsibilities."
(Her "McKenzie")The
storyline revolves around the girls deciding to
pool their money to buy a Geo Tracker and provides
"an opportunity for players to create their own
wardrobe; and access to make-up for creating just
the right look." (Her
"McKenzie") While some girls might find this
game fun, it clearly promotoes stereotypes of
girls: it makes it appear that girls only care
about dating, makeup, and clothes. |
McKenzie & Co. |
|
Since then, however, the company published the
title "Vampire
Diaries," a mystery adventure in which a female
high school student must find out why the children
in town are falling ill, and now has a game based
on the popular "Nancy Drew Mysteries" on the
horizon. |
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"Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill" promises that it will "challeng[e] girls to solve a murder as they role-play the part of their favorite teenage sleuth, Nancy Drew." (Her "Game") Her Interactive describes its "game philosophy" by contrasting boys' desire to "eliminate opponents in a brutally violent confrontation" with girls' desires for "a compelling story and characters that she can interact with in a way that is not predetermined." (Her "Game") To serve that end, the publisher promises that "Nancy Drew" will let girls "interact with a wonderfully complex cast of characters to help them find challenging clues to solve the mystery" and that "[u]sing their powers of deduction and sharp minds for detail, female players can use their skills to identify the murderer in the circle of suspects." (Her "Game") These later additions to Her's product line hold out hope for the future of girls' games: if "Nancy Drew" accomplishes the goals Her has set out for it, perhaps more game publishers will follow suit, providing intelligent, non-stereotypical fun for girls. |
