Black feminist technosocial roleplay: exploring visual media representations of Black women's complex relationship with authoritative power

Abstract

Using Black Feminist Technosocial Roleplay (BFTR) this study revealed the ways in which Black women are represented in visual narratives characterized by authoritative power as well as examining how Black women's relationship with violence can be transfigured in liberatory ways. The critical technocultural discourse analysis of 15 'viral murder videos', 2 'ebony public disgrace' films, and 2 'ebony evolved fights' as well as the examination of 121 viral murder video online surveys, 2 semi-structured interviews with Black women gamers, and a Black feminist gaming autoethnography revealed a.) rehumanized representations of Black women when they control their image, b.) extended public social scripts into technologically mediated fantasy roleplay, c.) violence as a main component of fortifying Black women in public memory, and d.) the cathartic/empowering ways in which video game roleplay can be utilized to reterritorialize Black women's public social roles, especially their proximity to and employment of authoritative power and violence. The analysis also showed how Black women's self-determined presentation and self-valuation is often imperfect, messy, and in some ways monstrous, yet these are still avenues of representation worthy of conscientious study. Additionally, data implications, future recommendations, and research limitations were also discussed in depth.