DiGRA Chapter Diversity

Key insights

7 takeaways

01
Regional DiGRA chapters serve as vital hubs for game research in areas where international conference participation is low, such as Japan, China, and Israel, often due to language barriers and the high costs of global travel.See it on page 4
02
The DiGRA brand provides essential institutional legitimacy for local chapters, helping researchers gain credibility with local industries and providing a framework for community building where none previously existed.See it on page 10
03
Local chapters foster diversity by addressing niche, regional, or politically sensitive topics that are often overlooked by the broader, Euro-American-centric DiGRA organization.See it on page 2
04
Language remains a primary driver for chapter formation, as seen in the D-A-CH chapter (German-speaking countries), which prioritizes local-language discourse over the English-only standard of international DiGRA conferences.See it on page 5
05
Conference participation data from 2016 highlights a significant geographic imbalance, with the United Kingdom alone accounting for 28.4% of attendees, while regions like Japan and Turkey represented only 0.6% and 0.3% respectively.See it on page 6
06
While chapters benefit from the global DiGRA network, they face the ongoing challenge of balancing international academic standards with the need to avoid imposing a 'Western canon' that may not fit local cultural or political contexts.See it on page 12
07
DiGRA chapters operate with high autonomy and minimal regulation, allowing them to remain dynamic and responsive to local research interests, even if individual chapters occasionally experience periods of dormancy.See it on page 5

Summary

This analysis examines the role and perceived value of regional chapters within the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA). By surveying representatives from nine of the eleven existing regional chapters during 2017, the study explores how these localized bodies contribute to the organization’s broader goals of diversity and inclusiveness. The research highlights the tension between maintaining a cohesive international identity and fostering locally relevant, context-aware game studies that address specific linguistic, political, and industrial needs.

Key findings indicate that regional chapters serve as vital junctures for researchers who are unable to participate in international conferences due to financial constraints, geographic distance, or language barriers. These chapters provide essential legitimacy for game studies in regions where the field is emerging, while also facilitating deeper collaboration with local game industries. Although the chapters operate autonomously, they derive significant value from the DiGRA brand, which offers institutional recognition and a framework for academic comparison. However, the study notes that international conference participation remains heavily skewed toward English-speaking and European nations, suggesting that regional chapters currently function as distinct, often isolated, hubs of knowledge production.

The analysis concludes that while regional chapters are instrumental in diversifying the scope of game research—particularly by addressing local cultural nuances and non-Western perspectives—they face the ongoing challenge of avoiding the imposition of a Euro-American academic canon. To move toward a more inclusive global model, the organization must find ways to integrate non-English research and local insights into the broader international discourse. Future growth is expected in regions currently lacking formal representation, such as Latin America, necessitating a strategic approach to ensure that regional diversification promotes genuine decolonization of the field rather than mere expansion.