To study a subculture of people that tend to be somewhat reclusive and extremely plugged into virtual circles is a truly difficult task. In an attempt to capture a rough image of gamer demographics I have taken personal information from each of the couple of hundred people interviewed during the course of my official study as well as unofficial data both before and after. The diverse nature of roleplayers and the limited availability of reliable, widespread data collection methods has resulted in gaps in several categories. There is one category, however, that has changed so dramatically that it can be seen on absolutely every survey I have encountered. This is the emergence of women in roleplaying.  Dr. Gary Alan Fine offers his findings in his book Shared Fantasy. I will use his observations as a starting point.

“In the judges guild journal surveys only 2.3% of the respondents were female and in the space gamer survey the figure was even lower--.04%. These figures are probably not gross underestimations. At origins '78 the major national convention, approximately 95% of those in attendance were male. In the Dragon's referee list only 3.8% were female.” (Fine 1983:41).

He also mentioned that at the time Gary Gygax estimated that 10-15% of gamers were likely female. Fine believed that was a gross over estimation (Fine 1983). Wizards of the Coast conducted a survey in 1999 of 20,000 households and found 19% of gamers were female. In 2004, the largest gaming convention in North America, GenCon, reported that 23% of attendees were female.

To increase the amount of information I asked gamers to give me the names of people the regularly game with and state their genders. My surveys had 9 women respondents out of 40 (22.5%). Of the 347 extra group members listed by these gamers, 119 were women (34.3%). During the Kansas City Gaming Expo, I went from room to room at different times and counted the number of women present. I found that this number ranged from approximately 12% to 20% depending on the time. I also discovered that 20 of the people interviewed stated that they routinely roleplayed with their spouses or partners. Of these, 6 mentioned that when childcare was not available during a scheduled game it was the mothers that most often had to stay at home with the children. If we extrapolated these numbers, it is possible that without children we could see an increase by as much as 18%. That would place female attendance just over 28%. While the exact numbers may vary, the trend is clear. The subculture is starting to include more women participants.

Fine offers three explanations for the lack of involvement of women in roleplaying: characteristics of women, the process of recruitment in the gaming world, and the reactions of men to the presence of women (Fine 1983:62).

His first point addresses what he considers inherent differences between women and men. While he does not directly state that women are incapable of creative thinking, detail orientation, and long-term concentration, he makes several comments that strongly suggest these shortcomings and offers quotes that do state it outright. While there are many theories that explain the creation of gender roles ranging from the biological to the psychological, they do not call into question a woman's innate capabilities for high level cognition and thus their ability to enjoy fantasy roleplaying games.

That said, there are some tenets of feminist theory that, if true, could lower the chances that women would become interested in roleplaying games in the first place. In early childhood, socialization encourages young men to pursue self-realization and express creative talents while young women are encouraged to find personal fulfillment in the accomplishments of their husband and children while ensuring that all the requirements for running the household are met. In the corporate and academic world, men are likewise encouraged to concentrate on abstract theory while the practical application often falls to the women. In addition to this, our culture socializes women to discourage aggressive behavior (Applerouth 1965). If a man is assertive and dominant, he is praised as a high powered professional. When a woman in the same position displays comparably aggressive tendencies, she is often stigmatized and derided. Applerouth (1965) maintains that this creates an environment in which women are pressured to be submissive to men and not to explore their aggressive sides.

Fine's second point, that the methods employed by roleplaying circles to recruit players restricted access to women, is also no longer an issue. Years ago, information about roleplaying was much more limited. Materials were often shared within gaming groups, and many people only learned about the new hobby through invitations from friends who played. While I do not agree that this prevented women from becoming involved, it is possible that it might have made it more difficult for them if they did not know people who were already participating. One important factor in resolving this has been the internet. It is an instant source of information about gaming, providing everything from digital copies of the rule systems to social networking groups to allow new gamers to find a local gaming group to join. If an area does not have a local gaming group that appeals to the woman, the internet gives her the opportunity to log online and join a group of people thousands of miles away via video chat. The internet has allowed opportunities for people to move into and out of social circles so quickly that people can easily find a place with people of similar interest. If their interests change or they discover that a particular circle is not what they had expected, they can easily leave these circles and move on to better hunting grounds, without social repercussions.

The third reason that Fine gives for the lack of female participation is the undesirable reactions of gamer men to the presence of women. He suggests that because most men who engage in roleplaying games are socially inept, they tend to behave in inappropriate ways when women join the group. This assumption is a reflection of the negative stereotypes that have always surrounded the gaming community. The only basis I have found for this is that roleplayers are almost always of above-average intelligence. The young men in this group may be less socialized with women during adolescence, the time period where many players are introduced to the hobby. It is no more accurate to visualize most gamers as unattractive, socially inept, emotionally stunted basement-dwellers than it is to categorize all athletes as brutish, unintelligent, misogynistic meat heads. In my research, I have not found a single man who says he dislikes gaming with women. On the contrary, most are very vocal about their desire to see more women in the gaming community and genuinely enjoy the women in their gaming group. Monk Gamer adamantly stated that “I like playing with girls... having women play brings a whole other element to the game that you just can't get with a bunch of guys sitting around the table, and they really add to the social interaction.”

Mazzanoble’s Confessions of a Part Time Sorceress, provides an invaluable perspective on the changing role of women in the gaming community. She is an employee of the largest gaming company in the world, has written numerous books, and has a well-known column focusing on gaming and women participants. She documents her own entry into the gaming culture and her movement through the social community. By her own description, her book is part confessional and part how-to guide (Mazzanoble 2007:2). Her point is simple. While the majority of gamers are men, gaming has much to offer both sexes and women can find it just as enjoyable and engrossing as men do.

The purpose of this section was to attempt to explain why women roleplay, but it quickly turned into why don't they roleplay. The answer is clear: in the past there may have been barriers to entry in the community but today those barriers are gone. Women are increasing joining our ranks. It is up to us to welcome our sisters into our community.

References:

Appelrouth, Scott and Laura Edles. 1965. Sociological Theory in Contemporary Era. Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press.

Dancey, Ryan S. February 07, 2000. "Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary." http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/gaming/WotCMarketResearchSummary.html.

Fine, Gary Allen. 1983. Shared Fantasy: Roleplaying Games as Social Worlds. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

Fine, Gary Allen. 1989. “Mobilizing Fun: Provisioning Resources in Leisure Worlds.” Sociology of Sport Journal 6:319-334.

Mazzanoble, Shelly. 2007. Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress: A Girl's Guide to Dungeons & Dragons Game. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast Publishing.