Faculty Advisor

Monica DeHart

Area of Study

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Publication Date

Summer 2015

Abstract

If League of Legends can provide a social model for cooperation and altruistic behavior, the source of this behavior can be easily derived for future applications. What allows five strangers from all walks of life to come together, or fall apart may also be indicative of what allows global leaders to cooperate in a gg, or be confronted with defeat. League of Legends has provided for five possible ways by which a diverse population can come together to achieve a state of cooperative altruism. Through a shared identity, and an efficient communal dialect, players from around the world can relate to each other and communicate effectively. Through exposure and representation of minority identities, players can overcome preexisting stigmas that would otherwise interfere with cooperation. With values that mirror global capitalism, and a character roster that is relatively diverse, League of Legends provides for an environment that most players can relate to furthering their ability to cooperate. Finally, a shared justice system maintains and molds player behavior to allow for smoother cooperation and a more pleasant experience overall. Through lessons such as these, we are able to better our own understanding of what can make, or break cooperation in the globalized context that our world exists in.

Publisher

University of Puget Sound

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