Miniaturing, with its roots in other historically men-dominated spheres such as military history and tabletop role-playing, is largely a men’s pastime in terms of demographics (e.g. Körner & Schütz, 2021), making it an intriguing phenomenon to study from the perspective of men’s studies. This is doubly true with Warhammer 40,000: as a game it features a satirical hypermasculine, hyperviolent setting of endless war and brutal fascism, yet as a hobby it centrally features delicate crafting, appreciation of beauty, and indulging in different forms of play (Meriläinen, Stenros & Heljakka, 2020).
Play in its many forms is often seen as a childish pursuit, and consequently adult men’s play may be ridiculed. Some men downplay their hobby in order to adhere to traditional ideals of masculinity and adulthood (Cova, Pace & Park, 2007), some distance themselves from the playful aspects, but the majority seem to embrace it with pride. In some cases, the hypermasculinity of the game setting is also leveraged as a weapon against women and minorities in the hobby.
This presentation discusses an upcoming qualitative study that looks at how adult men negotiate, embrace, and reject societal perceptions of adulthood and masculinity as they, essentially, play with toy soldiers.
References
- Cova, B., Pace, S., & Park, D. J. (2007). Global brand communities across borders: The Warhammer case. International Marketing Review, 24(3), 313–329. https://doi.org/10.1108/02651330710755311
- Körner, R., & Schütz, A. (2021). It is not all for the same reason! Predicting motives in miniature wargaming on the basis of personality traits. Personality and Individual Differences, 173, 110639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110639
- Meriläinen, M., Stenros, J., & Heljakka, K. (2020). More Than Wargaming: Exploring the Miniaturing Pastime. Simulation & Gaming, 104687812092905. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878120929052
Author bio
Mikko Meriläinen (PhD) is an Academy Research Fellow at Tampere University, Finland. His research focuses on the intersections of gaming and everyday life, and he is currently studying men in gaming from a reparative perspective. Mikko started his miniaturing career with Warhammer Fantasy Battle at the age of 14.
