This book honors the legacy of Dr. Brian Sutton-Smith, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Folklore at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Sutton-Smith was considered the premier play scholar of his generation, with numerous publications in the fields of developmental psychology, folklore, anthropology, sociology of sport, education, and philosophy. We present an eclectic array of essays written in honor of the centennial of his birth, ranging from the scholarly to the overtly playful. There are essays distilling his work to their key ideas and some that offer a robust and respectful critique. There are personal anecdotes honoring his memory, and original works of fiction celebrating his legacy. The book is a publication in the TASP biannual Play and Culture Studies series and includes photographs of Brian Sutton-Smith, as well as heartfelt appreciation from scores of colleagues.

Sutton-Smith focuses on play theories rooted in seven distinct "rhetorics"--The ancient discourses of fate, power, communal identity, and frivolity and the modern discourses of progress, the imaginary, and the self. In a sweeping analysis that moves from the question of play in child development to the implications of play for the Western work ethic, he explores the values, historical sources, and interests that have dictated the terms and forms of play put forth in each discourse's "objective" theory

Educators have long been pursuing and applying ways that play can be a context and even a medium for teaching and learning. Volume 15 of Play & Culture Studies focuses on the special topic on Play and Curriculum, a long waited topic to many educators and researchers in the field of play and education. This volume includes chapters reporting recent studies and practical ideas examining the relations between the play and curriculum from early education to higher education. The volume has 3 sections with the 9 chapters grouped to represent various voices on play and curriculum: in Culture, in STEM, in Higher Education. The uniqueness of this book is represented by its breadths and depths of diversity from investigating play and curriculum in an indigenous group in Columbia to play in a New York City Public school and from play and curriculum in a Family Child Care context to the uses of play with college students.

What are toys? What do they represent beyond the literal image? Do they affect growth- are they learning tools, baby sitters, trivial objects with no particular significance? This book is the first systematic analysis of the role of toys in contemporary society. Employing history, anthropology, and psychology, as well as the first-hand accounts of players themselves, the author explores the myriad of meanings behind the toy.-- Book Jacket.

A scientist examines the origins and evolutionary significance of play in humans and animals.

Play takes up much of the time budget of young children, and many animals, but its importance in development remains contested. This comprehensive collection brings together multidisciplinary and developmental perspectives on the forms and functions of play in animals, children in different societies, and through the lifespan. The Cambridge Handbook of Play covers the evolution of play in animals, especially mammals; the development of play from infancy through childhood and into adulthood; historical and anthropological perspectives on play; theories and methodologies; the role of play in children's learning; play in special groups such as children with impairments, or suffering political violence; and the practical applications of playwork and play therapy. Written by an international team of scholars from diverse disciplines such as psychology, education, neuroscience, sociology, evolutionary biology and anthropology, this essential reference presents the current state of the field in play research.