New publication: Communicating and Practicing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Finnish Esports Organizations: Challenges and Opportunities

I’m very proud and happy to share the first publication of my post-doc project focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in esports! In this article, co-authored with Maria Ruotsalainen (University of Jyväskylä) and Matilda Ståhl (Åbo Akademi/Tampere University), we describe how Finnish esports organisations are and aren’t communicating and practising DEI in their operations. We also define three key areas for future DEI improvements in esports organisations: communication, recruitment, and guidelines.

Friman, U., Ruotsalainen, M., & Ståhl, M. (2023). Communicating and Practicing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Finnish Esports Organizations: Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, 1(1). Open access: https://doi.org/10.1123/jege.2022-0040

Abstract: In this study, we explore how Finnish esports organizations are communicating and aiming to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in their activities. The study is based on a qualitative analysis on two sets of research material: public websites of 53 esports organizations and interviews with representatives of five esports organizations. We have analyzed the textual and visual contents on these websites to see how Finnish esports organizations communicate diversity, equity, and inclusion—or exclusion—to their audiences. Analyzing the interview material, we have examined how Finnish esports organizations understand equity, what kind of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices they have applied in their operations, and what kind of challenges they have experienced in this area. Overall, this study describes how Finnish esports organizations do and do not present and experience themselves as diverse, equal, and inclusive environments, and what measures could be taken to increase these aspects in the Finnish esports scene in the future. The results of the study can be applied to various gaming and esports organizations and cultural contexts globally.

We will also discuss this study tomorrow at the Understanding local esports cultures and ecosystems seminar at the University of Jyväskylä!