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These files are maintained strictly for historical reference, research, and recordkeeping purposes, and the content has not been altered or updated since archiving. Content on this site may not meet current digital accessibility standards. If you require an alternative, accessible format of any information found on this site, please contact Bruce Jones, bjones@ucsd.edu to request an accommodation.
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 > Status: O