Motivations for under-reporting suspected concussions in collegiate athletics
Abstract
This thesis analyzes BioShock Infinite to explore how videogames serve as a uniquely persuasive platform through which political and religious narratives can be forwarded to a segment of the population that typically is not receptive to, or interested in, such messages. BioShock Infinite utilizes the cultural myths of American Exceptionalism and the Frontier Myth to communicate messages regarding the infusion of religion into political and civic life. The messages contained within the narrative world of BioShock Infinite are analyzed, while exploring the implications of such an approach with regard to the cultural views of its players. Analysis suggests that BioShock Infinite presents a narrative world where religious interventionist politics serve as a metaphor for the disease at the heart of America, where the only possible antidote is secular libertarianism. This message likely resonates with the majority of videogame players who tend to oppose religion in politics.
