Dr. Shira Chess
About: Shira Chess teaches courses in media studies and media writing. Her research focuses on digital media studies with an emphasis on gender and gaming.
Education
Ph.D., Communication and Rhetoric, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
M.A. Media Arts, Emerson College
B.A. English, The University of South Florida
Research Interests and Activities
Dr. Chess’ research interrogates the intersections between gender studies and video game studies. In particular, she has written extensively on games that target women audiences. Additionally, she has researched several other topics in digital media including research on “slenderman” memes and pervasive gaming such as the Google game Ingress. Her research has appeared in Journals such as Critical Studies in Media Communication, New Media & Society, Feminist Media Studies, and Information Communication & Society.
Shira Chess (under contract). The Unseen Internet: Conjuring the Occult in 21st Century Digital Discourse. Cambridge: MIT Press. Overview: Behind the glossy sheen of slick social media influencers and corporate […]
Read MoreBaldwin-White, A., Darville, G., Shira Chess, & Beer, J. (in press) “Social Media and its Influence on Sexual Activity and Perceptions of Sexual Activity Among College Students,” Journal of American College […]
Read MoreValerie Boyd, editor, Bigger Than Bravery: Black Resilience and Reclamation in a Time of Pandemic, November 2022. For a terrific review of Valerie’s book, see: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/dec/14/valerie-boyd-life-work-alice-walker
Read MoreShira Chess and M. Consalvo. “The future of media studies is game studies,” Critical Studies in Media Communication, 2022, 39:3, 159-164, DOI:10.1080/15295036.2022.2075025 Abstract: Game studies, as a subfield of media […]
Read MoreChess, S. (2020). “How to: Play Like a Feminist in 2020.” Plenary Keynote presentation for the Electronic Literature Organization. (Conference was moved online due to COVID-19.) July 17, 2020. Abstract: […]
Read MoreDescription: “You play like a girl”: it’s meant to be an insult, accusing a player of subpar, un-fun playing. If you’re a girl, and you grow up, do you “play […]
Read MoreAbstract: Sexual assault affects one in four women in the United States. Recent studies show that college is the time when sexual assaults are most likely to occur. Prevention involves […]
Read MoreAbstract: “Casual game” is an industry term that is often used derisively or dismissively—it is a catch-all meant to indicate a style of play but is often deployed like a […]
Read MoreAbstract: Kim Kardashian has received much attention for her media empire, including her game, published by Glu Mobile. The game’s premise plays a role in what I characterize as “Feminine […]
Read MoreAbstract: When we discuss games, as a culture, the games under discussion are often presumed almost always a “core” (or “hardcore”) games. However, video games are change rapidly. The market […]
Read MoreAs video games become an increasingly mass medium — not intended for niche audiences but deployed with different genres, styles, and platforms — it is an apt time to rethink […]
Read MoreStardew Valley, on its surface, appears to be yet another invest-express farming game; players grow crops, tend to animals, mine, fish, and do other idyllic tasks that make it almost […]
Read MoreAbstract: This chapter offers a “diffractive” consideration (Barad 2003) of posthumanist and cyberfeminist theory, masculinity studies, and research on gender and gaming, that views digital play between straight white men […]
Read MoreAbstract: In this article, I consider the role of affect in the popular app game Neko Atsume. Neko Atsume is a “cat collector” game where players leave food and toys […]
Read MoreAbstract: When we discuss games, as a culture, the games under discussion are often presumed almost always a “core” (or “hardcore”) games. However, video games are change rapidly. The market […]
Read MoreAbstract: Mobile-based celebrity games are a byproduct of a new, more feminized video game industry. Within celebrity games, the player engages with celebrity culture in a variety of ways, often […]
Read MoreTeaching Specialties
Dr. Chess’ teaches courses that focus on both understanding and creating digital and traditional media. Prior to teaching in Grady College, she taught at Miami University of Ohio and worked as a game developer and web designer.
