Dr. Usva Friman is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Main Research Coordinator at the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies at Tampere University, Finland. Her research is focused on themes of equity, cultural participation, and cultural agency in digital gaming and esports, particularly from the perspective of women players. Friman is a founding member and a board member of The Finnish Association for Game Research, an editorial board member of The Finnish Yearbook of Game Studies, and a founding member and diversity & equality committee member of the international Esports Research Network.
Selected publications:
Friman, U. (2022). Gender and game cultural agency in the post-gamer era: Finnish women players’ gaming practices, game cultural participation, and rejected gamer identity. Doctoral dissertation. University of Turku.
Friman, U., Arjoranta, J., Kinnunen, J., Heljakka, K., & Stenros, J. (2022, Eds.) Pelit kulttuurina [Games as Culture]. Vastapaino.
Friman, U., & Ruotsalainen, M. (2022). Gender and toxic meritocracy in competitive Overwatch: Case “Ellie”. In M. Ruotsalainen, M. Törhönen, & V. Karhulahti (Eds.), Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch (pp. 135–154). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0_8
Turtiainen, R., Friman, U. & Ruotsalainen, M. (2020). “Not Only for a Celebration of Competitive Overwatch, but also for National Pride”: Sportificating the Overwatch World Cup 2016. Games and Culture, 15(4), 351–371. DOI: 10.1177/1555412018795791
Ruotsalainen, M. & Friman, U. (2018). “There Are No Women and They All Play Mercy”: Understanding and Explaining (the Lack of) Women’s Presence in Esports and Competitive Gaming. Proceedings of the Nordic DiGRA 2018.