[ecrea] PhD-position game studies/social sciences at KU Leuven

At KU Leuven we’ll be looking for someone to fill a PhD-position in a 
project on ‘addiction,’ but from a qualitative/multi-method point of 
view (in-depth interviews, Social Network Analysis, focus groups).

Please feel free to share with anyone who might be interested:

https://icts.kuleuven.be/apps/jobsite/vacatures/53862455

The research project is entitled 'Games of social control: A 
sociological study of 'addiction' to Massively Multi-Player Online 
Role-Playing Games'. The PhD candidate will be employed at the Institute 
for Media Studies (Department Communication Science) & will be 
supervised by Prof. Stef Aupers.

Massively Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Games (i.e., World of 
Warcraft) are highly popular amongst adolescents. In comparison with 
console games, these online games are played three times longer and are 
allegedly 'addictive': 20 percent admits that playing MMORPGs has a 
negative influence on their social relations in everyday life. This 
research project deviates from social-psychological studies, often 
concluding that low self-esteem and weak social relations explain 
compulsive playing. Elaborating on research emphasizing the social 
character of MMORPGS, it theorizes instead that social networks in the 
game and the social pressure these exert, accounts for much of the 
neglect of (non-gaming) friends, family, school and work. Research 
questions are: how are players socialized in / outside the game and 
develop a social identity as a gamer? In what game-related social 
networks and secondary institutions are they embedded? How and why do 
these impede on / compete with social networks of non-gamers?

https://icts.kuleuven.be/apps/jobsite/vacatures/53862455

*Interested?*

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Stef Aupers, tel.: +32 16 
37 23 07, mail: (stef.aupers /at/ kuleuven.be) <mailto:(stef.aupers /at/ kuleuven.be)>.

You can apply for this job no later than *October 21, 2016* via the 
online application tool 
<http://www.kuleuven.be/eapplyingforjobs/light/53862455>(http://www.kuleuven.be/eapplyingforjobs/light/53862455)

KU Leuven is a stimulating and demanding research environment, and the 
University currently stands 35^th in the Times Higher Education world 
rankings.


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