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Steven Dashiell PhD

@dashiellsteven.bsky.social
479 followers 165 following 77 posts

Research Asst Prof at Morgan State University - social scientist who studies discourse, masculinity, and disparities, specifically in male-dominated subcultures (like game communities and social media). Army veteran. UMBC grad.

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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Just got cited in the @nytimes.com talking about use of the word 'larp' by young people - it's a gift link, so enjoy!! www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/s...
nytimes.com
How LARPing, a Gaming Term, Became a Word for Posers (Gift Article)
Live-action role playing was associated with games like Dungeons & Dragons. Now, it’s a way to call someone out for being inauthentic.
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I will be at #ManchesterMetropolitanUniversityGameCentre in a few days, presenting on my prelim research about miniature painters at their Game Research Day. Getting excited! #ttrpgs #gamestudies
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
🚨NEW PUBLICATION ALERT! 🚨This research was an analysis of a survey I did of 800+ gamers talking about gaming time and what might take them away from the table. Found some interesting gendered differences about the gaming & gender capital surrounding TTRPGS! link.springer.com/article/10.1...
image of journal article cover and title - Looking behind the curtain assessing gender capital and gaming capital in tabletop spaces
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
COMING SOON! No spoilers but new article, concerning tabletop gaming, will be out very soon! It was accepted yesterday, proofs are done so......watch this space!!! #gamestudies #ttrpg #AcademicSky
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Woo hoo! Happy to report I have two presentations accepted at the @nat-com.bsky.social Annual Conference! #gamestudies #ethnography #sociolinguistics
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Nearly time for my (online) presentation at @cgsaacej.bsky.social - talking about my #diablo data and how hardcore players negotiate permadeath. #GameStudies #AcademicSky
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Pretty sure its the first time my work has been on a "Most Read" list for a journal...or at least the first time I've noticed... #AcademicSky
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
I always want a print copy of the journals I publish in. It’s a nice tradition, but pricey!!! #AcademinSky
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Hey #gamestudies and #AcademicSky, how 'bout a socio-anthropological discussion about the "DNA" of discourses in actual play? My new post on The Geek Anthropologist thegeekanthropologist.com/2026/04/11/t...
thegeekanthropologist.com
Talking out of both sides of your face: Discursive duality in the actual play gaming space
By Steven Dashiell Tabletop role playing games (TRPGs) have been around for over a half century but have experienced something of a renaissance in the twenty-first century, with new generations of …
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Wow...I just saw posts for two "Game Studies Starter packs" in terms of linking people to Game Studies academics. One thing I noted? Weirdly? There are about 7-8 Black academics (who are on BlueSky) that come to mind when I think of game studies, and most of them are on neither list. #AcademicSky
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
In about 90 minutes at #pca26 Game Studies. Did someone say a presumptive look at a chapter of my book in production? Thanks @acls1919.bsky.social for the HBCU grant that is driving this research!! #Academicsky
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Hey #AcademicSky and #ttrpg , run do not walk to the latest issue of the International Journal of Role Playing! It is a special issue highlighting papers from the 2025 Role Play in Games conference. There's 10 *amahzing* articles - including one on murderhobos by yours truly!! (free to download)
journals.uu.se
International Journal of Role-Playing
The International Journal of Role-playing is a double-blind peer-reviewed scholarly journal that examines all facets of role-playing games for an audience of academics, designers, and players. The journal emphasizes analog role-playing games such as tabletop, live action role-playing (larp), and freeform, but is open to submissions analyzing adjacent phenomena and other interdisciplinary topics in relation to role-playing game studies.
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
#AcademicSky
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
🚨New publication!🚨 Yes, another one! "‘OG D&D’: Analysing aspects of fandom cultural capital in contentious Dungeons & Dragons social media". In it, I analyze the tweets of "fringe" OSR, and discuss how they reinforce their vision of D&D and rail against what they see as unwelcome changes.
intellectdiscover.com
‘OG D&D’: Analysing aspects of fandom cultural capital in contentious Dungeons & Dragons social media | Intellect
This research interrogates the subset of fandom called OSR, or Old School Renaissance, and its relation to the diversity in Dungeons & Dragons communities. Some who populate OSR are hostile to cha...
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
#AcademicSky
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
🚨NEW PUBLICATION ALERT! 🚨"Fandom influence and gamer agency in jury-rigged games" just released in Transformative Works & Cultures journal. I talk about how layers modify their playstyle to affect the game (such as playing a game 'hardcore' when it doesn't have a mode).
journal.transformativeworks.org
Fandom influence and gamer agency in jury-rigged games | Transformative Works and Cultures
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Sat on my first dissertation committee yesterday, as the "methods specialist". Woo boy! It is so different on the other side!! #AcademicSky
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Reposted by Steven Dashiell PhD
Berghahn Books @berghahnbooks.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
The latest issue of Boyhood Studies has been published! 📝 View the TOC and more for Volume 15, Issue 2 here: bit.ly/4rqpx5O Featuring new work by @dashiellsteven.bsky.social
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
🚨NEW Publication alert! 🚨 Proud to announce my first public health/well-being pub, "Adultification and Survivornomics impacting well-being of boys of color" in the journal Boyhood Studies. #AcademicSky #criticaldiscourseanalysis
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
And to quote Mortal Kombat- PREPARE YOURSELF as I have a whopping SEVENTEEN articles and book chapters that are either in 'accept' and to be published stage, on the verge to be submitted to a journal, or on the list to be written. 2026 is going to be a YEAR!
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
My article about adultification and squeegee boys and their perception of well being is coming SOON - the journal released the upcoming Table of contents - I'll post the article when it truly manifests!!
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Reposted by Steven Dashiell PhD
Digital Humanities at Brock University @brock-ddh.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
Emerging Voices in Black Games @thegamesinstitute.bsky.social from last year. We had a moment to discuss this great panel featuring @theblackblackmage.bsky.social, Cyan DeVeux, and Steven Dashiell. #brocku www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4YX...
youtube.com
Emerging Voices in Black Games Studies [FULL GUEST LECTURE]
YouTube video by TheGamesInstitute
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 14/09/2025
When I fell into a particular AI company, I was fascinated. I did an extended ethnography ("lurk") in one group of users, thinking I'd turn the observations into a journal article. A substacker asked me to write about it, and here it is. default.blog/p/the-ai-com...
default.blog
The AI Companion Who Cares
“If situations are defined as real, then they are real in their consequence.”
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
I was featured on the @saltandsass.bsky.social podcast as an 'Ask the Expert' to talk about my slant of research! My bit is near the 48-minute mark, but listen to the whole thing and subscribe!!! sites.libsyn.com/436716/episo...
sites.libsyn.com
Salt and Sass Games: Episode LXXIV
In Episode LXXIV has Mandi and Suzanne chat about Gamefound acquiring Indiegogo and review Wizards and Co, Ofrenda, Digsaw, and Courtisans. Dr. Steven Dashiell joins for a You're The Expert segment be...
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
I think...three publications (maybe four) should all manifest into the world over the fall semester - all games related, I think, so...you've been warned!!!
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
When the summer course you kinda didn't want but volunteered to take anyway gets a high number of students, so it will be good pay, but...grade soooo many things in the summer
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie is standing next to another man in a yellow shirt and tie .
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is standing next to another man in a yellow shirt and tie .
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
I've been at this academic thing for about 4 years post-PhD, so it's pretty humbling to say in 4 years people have seen value in citing my research 100 times. I'm blown away.
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
@pcaaca.bsky.social is coming up, and I'm presenting, repping AU because the initial research was started there (in the last days of my postdoc). I'm up in Game Studies - first day, first panel - talking 'bout some reflections on hardcore gamers who play #Diablo.
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Coming to a Role Play in Games conference near you on Wednesday!! (The conference is hybrid - so partially virtual - and free, so attend) #trpg #ttrpg #gamestudies
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
I already have been asked to be on a panel for a 2026 conference (a BIG one) and the panel has already been accepted.....WTF???? #academicsky
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
Woo hoo! I was one of the ACLS grantees this year!!!!
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
OKOK....this year is running so fast. Productivity is up. Academically this year will provide: - 4 book chapters (1 is under review, 2 are in press already) - 4 (nongame) academic articles - 4 gaming academic articles - 4 academic conferences Not at "postdoc" speed, but..something
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
#AcademicSky resolution for 2025- 8 manuscripts submitted to journals - 5 related to SDOH and third spaces -3 directly related to games and gaming Bluntly, I did it the last year of my postdoc (2022-2023) so I can do it again.
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
Still considered an "early career researcher", so breaking 80 citations is a pretty damn big deal. #academicSky
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
TMW in a rejection (for an edited collection) you get the criticism of "we would like to see this tied to digital games" when...the abstract had absolutely nothing to do with digital games. Just analog games.
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
🚨 NEW PUBLICATION ALERT 🚨 "Analyzing gamification as capital in social media posts regarding military recruitment" in Crritical Studies in Media Communication! I used military cultural capital to examine how ppl hated the Army's gaming-themed recruiting campaign. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Analyzing gamification as capital in social media posts regarding military recruitment
Military recruitment techniques traditionally focus on warriorship and patriotism, but with waning participation other techniques are being used (e.g. targeting parents Christensen, W. M. 2016a. Th...
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
I was interviewed by La Presse in Montreal, regarding the manosphere and the election! Hot off the press! (Pardon the pun) www.lapresse.ca/internationa...
lapresse.ca
Barron Trump | Une influence sur les jeunes hommes
Il a le droit de vote depuis le printemps seulement, mais Barron Trump semble avoir joué un rôle de premier plan dans la réélection de son père. Très branché sur les influenceurs populaires auprès des...
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Reposted by Steven Dashiell PhD
Alexander Vandewalle @alexvandewalle.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
CfP alert! 📢 Mythological Game Studies Conference @maciejpaprocki.bsky.social and I are organizing an online conference on mythology & video games (May 2025). We're interested in everything games, myth, mythology & mythologies! Abstract deadline: Feb 2! For more: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
This was a fun one to present at MAPACA this past weekend. Such a fascinating way to mediate "evil" and "villainy" in the face of stereotypes
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 09/10/2024
TMW your grant proposal is apparently so good, one of the reviewers says in the acceptance letter comments -"I don't know if it is appropriate, but I would love to collaborate on this grant". #research #Academiclife
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 03/12/2023
Excited to say my presentation for U of Waterloo's online conference on Race and gaming this week is all prepped! I talk about a theoretical take on what impacts African Americans at gaming tables. Deeeep sociology & #gamestudies . (The conference is online and FREE if you want to attend)
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 03/11/2023
New Publication alert!! Just realeased - "Revisiting epic glory in Dagorhir: Bleed, masculinity, and identity in larp" in the Journal of American Culture. It has #larp , #mensstudies, and #gamestudies involved! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 20/10/2023
WOOT!
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 20/10/2023
I hope I never turn into the guy who is loudly proclaiming at a conference nobody ever cites him. It's supposed to come off as scathing, but it's coming off as egocentric and self-scathing.
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 10/10/2023
Happy to announce to all of #academia that I have just accepted an appointment as a Research Assistant Professor at Morgan State University! I will be working on the discourses of particularly African American men as they engage in the social world! Woot!
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 23/09/2023
Coming to an @aoir.bsky.social conference near you! (If 'near you' is Philly in October).
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Steven Dashiell PhD @dashiellsteven.bsky.social · 21/09/2023
My recently released collaborative article with newly minted Dr. Henry Korkeila and Dr. J. Tuomas Harviainen. In it we discuss gaming capital in forums of the game Overwatch. Under EU guidance it MUST be OpenAccess so download it! journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
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