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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
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 groundbreaking collection of essays on a hitherto underexplored subject that challenges the existing stereotypical views of the trivial and innocent nature of children's culture, this work reveals for the first time the artistic and complex interactions among children. Based on research of scholars from such diverse fields as American studies, anthropology, education, folklore, psychology, and sociology, this volume represents a radical new attempt to redefine and reinterpret the expressive behaviors of children. The book is divided into four major sections: history, methodology, genres, and setting, with a concluding chapter on theory. Each section is introduced by an overview by Brian Sutton-Smith. The accompanying bibliography lists historical references through the present, representing works by scholars for over 100 years.
Gain a deeper understanding of games and game design through 18 pioneering frameworks—with examples from board games, computer games, video games, and more. As pop culture, games are as important as film or television—but game design has yet to develop a theoretical framework or critical vocabulary. In Rules of Play Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman present a much-needed primer for this emerging field. They offer a unified model for looking at all kinds of games, from board games and sports to computer and video games. As active participants in game culture, the authors have written Rules of Play as a catalyst for innovation, filled with new concepts, strategies, and methodologies for creat...
This textbook develops the fundamental skills of numerical analysis: designing numerical methods, implementing them in computer code, and analyzing their accuracy and efficiency. A number of mathematical problems?interpolation, integration, linear systems, zero finding, and differential equations?are considered, and some of the most important methods for their solution are demonstrated and analyzed. Notable features of this book include the development of Chebyshev methods alongside more classical ones; a dual emphasis on theory and experimentation; the use of linear algebra to solve problems from analysis, which enables students to gain a greater appreciation for both subjects; and many examples and exercises. Numerical Analysis: Theory and Experiments is designed to be the primary text for a junior- or senior-level undergraduate course in numerical analysis for mathematics majors. Scientists and engineers interested in numerical methods, particularly those seeking an accessible introduction to Chebyshev methods, will also be interested in this book.
Whether it's needlepoint or woodworking, collecting stamps or dolls, everyone has a hobby, or is told they need one. But why do we fill our leisure time with the activities we do? And what do our hobbies say about our culture? Steven Gelber here traces the history and significance of hobbies from the mid-nineteenth century through the 1950s. Although hobbies are often touted as a break from work, Gelber demonstrates that they reflect and reproduce the values and activities of the workplace by bringing utilitarian rationality into the home, imitating the economic stratification of the marketplace, and reinforcing traditional gender roles. Drawing on a wide array of social and cultural theory, Hobbies fills a critical gap in American cultural history and provides a compelling new perspective on the meaning of leisure.
Load the dirt. Load the dirt. Scoop and swing and drop. Slam it down into the truck. Bump! Whump! Whop! (Ages 2-5) Features an audio read-along! There are many big machines and busy people involved in building a road, and this riveting book follows them every step of the way. From clearing a pathway (screek! ) to rolling the tar (squelch! ) to sweeping up at the end (swish! ), Roadwork is sure to delight young truck-lovers with its rambunctious rhymes and noisy fun.
A thought-provoking re-examination of children's play drawing together insights and experiences across fields such as education, sociology, philosophy and psychology to encourage an inter-disciplinary approach.
This book looks at the impact of play on child development.
An analysis of the game engine Unreal through feminist, race, and queer theories of technology and media, as well as a critique of the platform studies framework itself. In this first scholarly book on the Unreal game engine, James Malazita explores one of the major contemporary game development platforms through feminist, race, and queer theories of technology and media, revealing how Unreal produces, and is produced by, broader intersections of power. Enacting Platforms takes a novel critical platform studies approach, raising deeper questions: what are the material and cultural limits of platforms themselves? What is the relationship between the analyst and the platform of study, and how ...