StardewValley_9
Image taken from stardewvalley.net

This is the first piece of a two-part Discussion how the “working class” have been included in video games. The topic of “working class” representation in popular media is shaky, because there is no single definition of the phrase that anyone can agree on. In the spirit of directing the topic away from opportunists and bad actors, I want the discussion in video games to begin by examining different conceptualizations of the working class. This will draw from our diffuse understanding of the term to identify which games have already tried to hold this discussion.

Part one is largely focused on the political angle of the working class, identifying the thinkers and speakers who wish to unify working people around certain ideological orientations. Because groups of people are so often defined by the media attempting to speak on their behalf, these interpretations of the working class identity are important. The second part examines media tropes, and how familiar storytelling beats resonate with the values of people who enjoy them. With these lenses in mind, I hope to provide a solid starting point for an increasingly unavoidable discussion: what appeals to the “working class?”

View Part 1 HERE:

Part 2 pending: