Malaby, Anthropology and Play: The Contours of Playful Experience

Anthropology and Play: The Contours of Playful Experience

Malaby T. M.

New Literary History 40(1):205-18 (2009)

This history of the anthropology of play argues that in the past play has been seen as an activity, particularly as an activity distinct from work (Caillois) or as a representation of . A more productive vision of play sees it as a disposition ("playfulness?"). In particular, this is a disposition that recognizes the world as inherently contingent, and play becomes an ability to improvise, denying a transcendent order.

Malaby begins by placing the earliest studies of Anthro of play in a 'Marxian' materialist context as opposed to a 'Geertzian' representational context. In the Marxian context, play is defined by being unproductive. In the Geertzian context, play is a way to create meaning. However, both approaches lack a key component of games, indeterminancy. The Marxian mode is too mechanically materialistic. Geertz's representations are ahistorical and are reflections of an unchanging underlying culture.

Malaby's approach questions the work/play dichotomy and uses pragmatic philosophy and practice/praxis approaches. The current trend is to see play as a mode of experience that is distinct from a cultural form (ie. 'playfulness' vs. 'play'). Pragmatists see the world as contingent, not absolute.

He offers a more nuanced reading of Huizinga, that recognizes the subtitle of Homo Ludens  - referring to the 'Play Element' in culture as opposed to just play event.

This article offers an excellent bibliography of the high points in anthropology of play and some of the challenges of the field. I think there might be a parallel with the old idea of work vs. play and my interest in 'serious play' vs 'griefing' (and other contentious behaviors). Grief play could be seen as more playful, since it toys with the contingencies of games and refuses to take them on their own terms.