For almost a year now, I have been paying close attention to women’s experiences in geek culture: I have tried to map out their involvement in this (sub)culture, to obtain data about demographics, and to create a list of female pioneers of geekdom.
I also followed the intense debate around the notion of the ”fake geek girl”, documented various forms of harassment women face in geekdom or in geek related industries (technology or video games, for instance), and studied the discussions about sexism and gate-keeping on blogs, Youtube channels, through memes and elsewhere. Needless to say, it has all kept me very busy.
Through this process, I have felt the need to obtain clearer and richer data about geek girls: who are they really? Is their presence in geekdom really as new as people often think? Are they really less numerous than men in geekdom? These are all questions that people enthusiastically answer in various spaces on the Internet, and their opinions are plenty. But valid data is not readily available. Thus, I have decided to investigate further.
This is where you come in:
I am looking for geek girls and women to answer a few questions about their involvement in geek culture and their experiences with geek peers. Whether you are 16 or 50 years old, a trekkie, a pegasister or a browncoat, whatever your gender identity or sexual orientation is, or even if you consider yourself more of a nerd than a geek, I want to hear your story.
Confidentiality will be respected, so don’t be afraid to contact me!
thegeekanthropologist[at]gmail.com
[…] Concluding remarks presenting the Geek Girl Survey, the second step of the research process I have initiated, and some consequences of the Fake Geek […]
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[…] Concluding remarks presenting the Geek Girl Survey, the second step of the research process I have initiated, and some consequences of the Fake Geek […]
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[…] I became absorbed by the intense debates which took place on blogs, news reports, videos, comment threads, at geek events, and in other spaces. For over a year, I mapped the interventions which received a lot of attention and reactions and analysed them. The result of this work is a paper I presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association, and the Geek Girl Survey. […]
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[…] November, when I started compiling the data from the Geek Girl Survey, I was delighted to find that the wonderful individuals who took part in this project took the […]
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[…] will soon finish compiling data from the Geek Girl Survey I announced last August! Thanks to everyone who answered my call or shared it! I have been swamped […]
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[…] community of authors, and has been the source of great collaborations and projects, such as the Geek Girl Survey or the upcoming panel at the annual AAA meeting. It was even featured on Freshly Pressed, […]
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Too late now? Haha – I just stumbled here from L. Palmer. If there’s still time, I’ll email you, but I understand it’s been over a month since you posted!
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Nop! Still time! Email me!
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I’d love to! Am I too late?
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There’s still time! Just email me!
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I am definitely a geek girl, but I also believe in the “fake geek” thing. I often do not expose my geekiness for fear of being labeled a poser. In regards to whether there are more geek guys than geek girls, it depends on where you look. Some fandoms are more popular among women and some possess more men. It really just depends.
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Would you like to take part in the project?
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I would love to!!
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Send me an email and I’ll send the info! Thanks!
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I’d love to be involved in any way!
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Great! Please email me! 🙂
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Do Whovians count in this lovely little lady gathering? Because I have a few friends who can’t get enough of the Doctor.
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Of course! Anyone who is 1) female and 2) considers themselves geeky is welcome!
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Then I would love to respond to the questionare! I consider myself a geek because I love to learn new things and am a hardcore Marvel fan girl and occupy my time with Ironman comics. I’ve been a Harry Potter fan since the beginning and anthropology is something Im very fond of. I feel like I could be of some help! 🙂
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Sure! Email me!
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I was a geek long before the term became popular; I am 58. I read superhero comics when all the other girls were reading Archie. I love science fiction and am one of the original Trekkies. I’ve read everything from Asimov to Zelazny, and give every scifi TV show a shot. I still prefer them to “soap opera-style” dramas, etc. Today I am the proud mother of a daughter with whom I share a love for all things geek (especially Dr. Who—and I was one of the early viewers).
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I’d love to learn more about you! Would you email me so I can send you the questionnaire?
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I wrote a post about the “fake geek girl” thing recently:
http://breakingmoulds.com/2013/08/08/is-nerd-girl-an-oxymoron/
Your research sounds interesting, count me in! I’ll email you! 🙂
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Thanks for sharing your post! I’ll be sure to check it out!
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Email on it’s way, Dr. Geek, and I’ll try to wrangle up a few more impressive geek ladies for you! 😀
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Thanks so much for contributing!
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May also be worth talking to the Gaming as Women crowd, possibly seeing if the post can be reblogged there or somesuch: http://www.gamingaswomen.com/
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Thank you for this suggestion!
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Definitely check this out: http://geekgirlvideo.tumblr.com/
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Thanks! It’s already in my list of material, but my readers will appreciate the share!
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