[Xmca-l] Re: (no subject)

[CAITLIN WUBBENA]

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback and great ideas! It's been really
helpful for me and I think I've been more able to mentally conceptualize
where I'm going. If this remains interesting, please continue to provide
feedback and ideas!

Greg-- Play as informal conversation is great verbiage...that gives me some
direction. Let's say informal, intellectually adventurous conversation. So,
I think you've hit the nail on the head...but I want to be careful to not
describe play as in opposition to seriousness. In fact, using Plato's
conceptualizations of play, I want to argue that the inability to play (due
to lack of practice in childhood, I suppose) is precisely what hinders
those strange and serious characters from engaging fully/creatively in
academia. For example, I think of the overzealous grad student who
bulldozes his colleagues during a debate or the uninspired post doc who is
too hard on herself when a project isn't going completely according to
plan. These people are successful insofar as they've arrived at a certain
selective/impressive place (definite snaps to that)...still, I would argue
that they would benefit from being intellectually playful/adventurous so
they can produce serious and creative work that is responsive to their
given context (empathy learned from play in childhood). So, a playful
attitude, I will submit, results in serious (and higher quality!) academic
work.

How does that sound? I suppose I don't think play is in opposition to
anything...

-C.


On Fri, Oct 11, 2013 at 2:08 AM, Greg Thompson <greg.a.thompson@gmail.com>wrote:

> Caitlin,
>
> I find it fascinating that you are interested in studying play in the stage
> of ADULTHOOD. And more fascinating that you would look in the peculiar
> adulthood stage that is filled with those strange and serious characters
> called "academics".
>
> Did I get that right? Something about putting play (informal conversation?)
> back into academia?
>
> If so, I say "YES"! but am not sure quite how to help...
>
> Or maybe, first, I should ask: what is "play" in adulthood?
>
> Defining by opposition, what does it oppose?
> Work?
> Seriousness?
> Something else?
>
> What do you think?
>
> playfully,
> greg
>
>
> On Thu, Oct 10, 2013 at 10:34 AM, CAITLIN WUBBENA <cwubbena@gse.upenn.edu
> >wrote:
>
> > Thanks for your responses. A little more about the project: it's
> definitely
> > rooted in a strong experiential piece (I've noticed that kids who grew up
> > in hyper-structured environments seem to lack empathy, appropriate debate
> > skills, etc once they get to college. Also, more kids seem to grow up in
> > these hyper-structured environments...at least in the middle class
> > [Lareau]. Further, this is often discussed in informal settings like TED
> > talks [Ken Robinson, free range children]) coupled with a theoretical,
> > academic piece.
> >
> > My background is in philosophy--so I'm most immediately drawn to the
> > theorists I mentioned in my initial post. My idea with this project is to
> > trace the history of conceptualizations of play in academia to illustrate
> > the context of this more colloquial conversation that happens on TED
> talks
> > and the like. I will also include "examples" to ground the theoretical
> > aspect...illustrations of play in Novalis' Novices of Sais and an essay
> on
> > play/identity formation by CD Wright, for example. Ultimately, the goal
> > will be to bring the informal conversation (back) into academia.
> >
> > Long story short, I'm not quite sure where this will go yet. But I
> suspect
> > that the nature of the project might allow some room to incorporate a few
> > conceptualizations of play, as long as they lead to this central idea of
> > play as necessarily leading to productivity.
> >
> > As a disclaimer, I haven't had a chance to read Vygotsky yet...in fact, I
> > just received the email that it has arrived in the library.
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Oct 9, 2013 at 5:42 PM, Greg Thompson <greg.a.thompson@gmail.com
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > Caitlin,
> > > Maybe you could say a little more about what you mean by "play"?
> > > I suspect that you may be talking about an ontogenetically different
> > thing
> > > from what is at the heart of Vygotsky's work (that's not to say that
> the
> > > two are unrelated, simply that some elaboration is needed...).
> > > -greg
> > >
> > >
> > > On Wed, Oct 9, 2013 at 11:05 AM, CAITLIN WUBBENA <
> cwubbena@gse.upenn.edu
> > > >wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi! I am a graduate student at Penn working on my Master's paper in
> > > > foundations/philosophy of education. I am taking a course with Andrew
> > > > Babson and he recommended I post here for some feedback/advice.
> > > >
> > > > Loosely, my topic is centered on Plato's notion of play/seriousness.
> I
> > > want
> > > > to explore why intellectual play is vital for success in higher ed
> and
> > > > envision this particular project (it's a relatively short lit review)
> > as
> > > an
> > > > analysis of the historical context that has allowed this conversation
> > to
> > > > happen in academia. At this point, I plan to cite Plato, Kierkegaard
> > > > (Socratic irony), and Dewey. I've also been introduced to Vygotsky
> and
> > > > Kendall Walton. The main challenge is bridging the conversation to
> > higher
> > > > ed.
> > > >
> > > > Any advice on where to go, books/articles to look into, etc would be
> > > > greatly appreciated!
> > > >
> > > > -Caitlin
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
> > > Visiting Assistant Professor
> > > Department of Anthropology
> > > 883 Spencer W. Kimball Tower
> > > Brigham Young University
> > > Provo, UT 84602
> > > http://byu.academia.edu/GregoryThompson
> > >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
> Visiting Assistant Professor
> Department of Anthropology
> 883 Spencer W. Kimball Tower
> Brigham Young University
> Provo, UT 84602
> http://byu.academia.edu/GregoryThompson
>