Rhetorical
Precis
In his article “The Place of
Video Games in the Digital Humanities” (2016), Trent Hergenrader explains that
his school is beginning a BS program in Digital Humanities and Social Sciences
and he argues that “it would be a dereliction of duty not to consider games as
objects worthy of study, especially in a digital humanities program built on
inter-disciplinary concepts” (29). Hergenrader supports his argument by
explaining three ways that video games can be woven into a digital humanities
curriculum: real world controversies within game culture, the rhetorical
analysis of games, and how games can be studied as persuasive tools. His
purpose is to point out the value of games within the digital humanities
alongside the opportunities this type of curriculum can provide to students.
Hergenrader writes in a formal, academic tone for other scholars that may also
be interested in developing a curriculum that incorporates the digital
humanities.Presentation
Trent Hergenrader begins his essay, “The Place of Video Games in the Digital Humanities” by explaining that his college is beginning a new program, a BS program in Digital Humanities and Social Sciences (DHSS). This program will be one of the first of its kind at the undergraduate level and it will include a combination of programming skills and liberal arts study. Within this program, Hergenrader insists that “it would be a dereliction of duty not to consider games as objects worth of study, especially in a digital humanities program built on inter-disciplinary concepts” (29). With this in mind, Hergenrader builds the body of his essay around ways to weave games into the digital humanities curriculum.
First, Hergenrader emphasizes the real-world controversies that occur within game culture. Here he points out that game culture is a broad spectrum that includes many activities, most of them online. However, these online activities often reflect real-life issues and Hergenrader suggests that a digital humanities curriculum that includes game culture could lead to opportunities for students to address topics such as “responsibility for moderating online arguments, distinguishing critique from attack and determining which comments should be allowed or deleted” and provide a basis for “rich, if often difficult, classroom conversation” (30). Secondly Hergenrader addresses the importance of rhetorical analysis of games. Hergenrader explains that an understanding of the rules and what is and is not allowed within a game world is an important aspect of the game itself. However, certain aspects of games can be analyzed beyond the game level, and within a study of games, scholars are equipped to “bring forward all manner and theoretical frameworks from various disciplines: film studies, communication studies, rhetoric, literary theory, art history, feminist theory, economics, critical theory, visual studies, philosophy, psychology, and more” (31). With opportunities to study and analyze games from the perspective of various disciplines, and with games becoming more and more a part of social media and daily life for many people, students should be able to examine and identify what rules make the game work and what any particular game is trying to accomplish. Lastly, Hergenrader explains the ability of games to serve as persuasive tools. He notes that “Games and game-like approaches should be in these graduates’ toolkits, especially because games are already being used as persuasive tools in politics, advertisements, and learning” (31). In being familiar with game culture and how to rhetorically analyze games, students will be able to think about how games can be/are being used for specific purposes.
Hergenrader concludes his article by pointing out that “Games can be rhetorically analyzed in sophisticated ways, providing opportunities for students to debate what claims game designers are making about the world by critically examining the games’ processes and rules” (32). Additionally, these skills can easily be incorporated throughout a digital humanities curriculum and help these students develop marketable skills. This new program at Hergenrader’s school has been created to provide a balance between technology and humanistic inquiry and provide students the skills to move between the two and also find ways to connect the two.
Work
Cited
Hergenrader, Trent. “The Place
of Video Games in the Digital Humanities.” On
the Horizon, 24, 1, 2016, 29-33.
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