Reflections on Play, Sport, and Culture (Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society)

The psychological dependence of humanity on playing is huge. Its nature and functional utility are unclear. These linked yet contradictory issues have created the intrigue that has fed philosophical thought for more than two hundred years. During this period, philosophy transferred many of the subjects of its analysis to the aegis of the humanities that it spawned. Each of them pays close attention to human play and studies it with its own methods of theoretical and experimental research. Thus, what was once a general philosophical comprehension of human play has branched out into different directions, definitions, and theories. This new book represents a renewed general view of human play. The unique quality of the volume lies in its fairly rare interdisciplinary methodology, encompassing a broad spectrum of the humanities: philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and the history of play, and behavioral analysis of playing, which have been done by the author. As a result, the volume ends with the proposition of a new general approach to human play that is named by the author “play field theory”. Such an approach makes reflections on play, sport, and culture a source for all scholars studying play, by widening their knowledge through both a new general view and their familiarization with notions from neighboring fields and disciplines. Cover Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables Preface Note Abbreviations Introduction Notes Part I The Idea of Play Introduction to Part I 1 “Slow-Moving” Philosophy of Play Usefulness of Play Before Philosophical Comprehension First Steps Toward Philosophy: Functionalism as a Key for Explanations of Human Play Notes Bibliography 2 Principal Definability of Play Introduction Play, Games, and Sports in the English Language (A Cultural-Anthropological View) Reflection of Human Play in Different Languages in the 20th and 21st Centuries The Wittgensteinian Obstacle Note Bibliography 3 Definition of Play as Escape Introduction Qualitative Content Analysis of Philosophical Ideas About Human Play Methodology Results of the Study Discussion Note Bibliography 4 Sport Is Play Too Introduction The Diversity of the Concept of Sport in English Cultural Tradition Is Physical Activity Necessary and Sufficient for a Definition of Sport? What Is “Physical” in Human Actions? Sport as Play and Game Officialization and Unproductiveness as Necessary Characteristics of Sport Officialization Unproductiveness Notes Bibliography Part II “Contemplation” of Play and Games Playing Introduction to Part II 5 Games’ Typologies Common and Unique in Games Humans Play Typologies of Games By Aims and Forms of Playing The Analysis of Existing Approaches to Classifying Ball Games Principles of Elaboration of “Nonlinear” Classification of Ball Games and Sports Three-measure Taxonomy of Games and Sports Notes Bibliography 6 Ways Moving From Games to Sports Introduction Crystallization Inventing Games By Developing and Adopting Original Ideas “Natural Selection” Notes Bibliography 7 Key Characteristics of an Invasive Game Mutually Active Conflict Between Sides “Perturbation” and a Personal Space–time in Invasive Games Correlation of Perturbations With Team’s Efficacy Notes Bibliography Part III Play and Society Introduction to Part III 8 Social Person in Play Introduction “Being There”: Kinds of Human Play in Different Behavioral Environments Personal Vs. Individual Play Emergent Indeterminacy: Hidden Flows of Small Groups Playing Wanted Suspense: Large Groups Playing Conclusions Notes Bibliography 9 Masses in Play Introduction Play and Social Communication in Ancient Sacral Ritual Play in Sacral Mysteries Festival Vs. Carnival Play in the Grandstands Summary Notes Bibliography 10 Sports Spectators and Fans in Play Accepted Typologies of Sport Spectators New Typology of Sport Spectators as “Players”: Empirical Research Method Instrument and Data Collection Data Analysis Results Main Factors Associated With Playful Stances, Attitudes, Behaviors, and Activities Profiling of Respondents Discussion Notes Appendix: Questionnaire for Spectators and Fans Bibliography 11 Professional Sport in Symbiosis With Fans Introduction From Play to Meta-Sport “Sport Is Like Play” The Nature of Professional Sport:”I’ll Do Makeup, But Love (Pay) Me, as I Am...” The Nature of a Sport Show: “I’ll Become Anything to You Love (Pay) Me...” The Nature of “meta-Play” UK European Union Israel Armenia The Nature of “meta-Sport” Dialectics in the Transformations of Professional Sport Notes Bibliography Afterword Introduction to the Play Field Theory (PFT) Basic Notions Main Principles of PFT Derivative Concepts of PFT New Terminology and Key Terms of PFT For the Domain of Play For the Domain of Game For the Domain of Sports Applications of PFT Perspective Note Bibliography Index The psychological dependence of humanity on playing is huge. Its nature and functional utility are unclear. These linked yet contradictory issues have created the intrigue that has fed philosophical thought for more than two hundred years. During this period, philosophy transferred many of the subjects of its analysis to the aegis of the humanities that it spawned. Each of them pays close attention to human play and studies it with its own methods of theoretical and experimental research. Thus, what was once a general philosophical comprehension of human play has branched out into different directions, definitions, and theories. This new book represents a renewed general view of human play. The unique quality of the volume lies in its fairly rare interdisciplinary methodology, encompassing a broad spectrum of the philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and the history of play and behavioral analysis of playing, which have been done by the alone author. As a result, the volume is finished with the proposition of a new general approach to human play that is named by the author Play Field Theory. Such an approach makes Reflections on Play, Sport, and Culture a source for all scholars studying play, by widening their knowledge through both a new general view and their familiarization with notions from neighboring fields and disciplines.