| Synopsis: |
This delightful book gives a glimpse into the rich and diverse play and playful activities of children across developing, recently developed and developed societies.Analysing children's play across many different cultural communities around the globe, each chapter discusses children's play as an activity important for formal and informal education, mental health and childhood well-being, and children's hobbies and past-times. Traditional, modern, and postmodern play forms are discussed and probed for their meaning within a contemporary global community. Richly illustrated throughout with vignettes, the book encourages you to critically evaluate the functions that play serves for indigenous cultures and the problems that arise due to the globalization of educational and social resources.International Perspectives on Play is compelling reading for students studying play within early years, early childhood or childhood studies or playwork courses.Jaipaul L. Roopnarine is Jack Reilly Professor of Child and Family Studies and Director Jack Reilly Institute for Early Childhood at Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA. Michael M. Patte is Professor of Education at Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA, USA. James E. Johnson is Professor of Early Childhood Education at The Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA. David Kuschner is Associate Professor Emeritus of Early Childhood Education at the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA. This welcome volume brings together new scholarship on culturally situated play in 16 diverse global contexts. The child rights-based foundation of the volume and nuanced perspectives are a powerful counter-narrative to the narrowing construction of childhood to one of academic readiness and test scores. The authors' collective narratives and research will contribute to many disciplines concerned about children, childhoods, culture and policy. Dr. Elizabeth Swadener, professor of Justice and Social Inquiry and associate director of the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State UniversityIn this research-based book, four international play scholars organize, author, and edit the work of their academic peers to weave a historical, developmental, cultural account of children's play around the globe. They examine the 'culturally constituted' child and explore first-hand accounts of real children's play in real places, extracting novel perspectives about historical and socio-cultural traditions and contexts for play. Here is the evidence that adults who influence children need for deeper understanding of play and developmental approaches to child rearing and early education. Scholars, teachers, parents, policy makers- this book is for you! Joe L. Frost, Parker Centennial Professor Emeritus University of Texas and Author of A History of Children's Play and Play EnvironmentsThis timely and outstanding volume addresses the influences that shape children's play experiences in diverse cultural contexts. The inclusive chapters thematically explore how parental beliefs, socialization practices, cultural change, technology, and other factors shape children's play at home, school, and in the community. This volume makes a wonderful contribution to our understanding of play as a universal yet culture-specific activity that serves as a learning context and guides children's developmental outcomes. The selection of varied geographic regions and cultural groups that receive scant attention make this text a unique contribution to the field. Readers interested in children's experiences, cultural psychology, early childhood education, and anthropology will find this text stimulating and rewarding. Dr. Robyn Holmes, Professor of Psychology at Monmouth University |