Thesis
Indemnity: an activist game conveying Latino immigration motivations for social awareness
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
01 May 2015
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-6515
Abstract
The use of games for educational, advertising and activist purposes has been in- creasing in recent years to address social issues ranging from genocide to world hunger. One of the many social problems that need to be addressed is the underlying cause that are forcing thousands of Latino immigrants, mostly children and teenagers from Central America, to seek asylum in the U.S. The reasons are often complex and in- terrelated and are misunderstood by many. Focusing on this issue by breaking down the various factors that contribute to it through an activist video game may clear up negative misconceptions and persuade audiences to become more empathetic for this underrepresented group. The creation of an activist video game following a persua- sive game framework is used to convey the motivations of forced Latino immigration to the U.S. The game places emphasis on both game mechanics and story ensuring that they complement each other. Indemnity aims to educate audiences on the life threatening dangers young Central Americans face on a daily basis. Questionnaires were administered before and after playing the game to collect data on the effective- ness and how to further improve on serious game design principles for future use. The study results con rmed Indemnity was successful by increasing awareness and sym- pathy for undocumented Latinos who are currently facing hardships in their country. Furthermore, it was able to pique interest in participants to learn more about the social issue. Future work for Indemnity could include more developed characters and storylines as well as testing on a more diverse pool size.
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Details
- Title
- Indemnity
- Creators
- Caroline J. Guevara - DU
- Contributors
- Jichen Zhu (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- vi, 60 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Digital Media; Drexel University; Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- Other Identifier
- 6515; 991014632188904721