INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “ Missing Paget s)” . If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark, it is an indication of either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, duplicate copy, or copyrighted materials that should not have been filmed. For blurred pages, a good image of the page can be found in the adjacent frame. If copyrighted materials were deleted, a target note will appear listing the pages in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part of the material being photographed, a definite method of “sectioning" the material has been followed. It is customary to begin film ing at the upper left hand comer o f a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. If necessary, sectioning is continued again beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For illustrations that cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by xerographic means, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and inserted into your xerographic copy. These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 3. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. University: M icrofilm s International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor. Ml 48106 8311728 Bowman, John Robert THE ORGANIZATION OF SPONTANEOUS ADULT SOCIAL PLAY The Ohio Stale University Ph.D. 1983 University Microfilms InternationalJ00 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark V . 1. Glossy photog raphs or pages _ 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print_____ 3. Photographs with dark background \S/ 4. Illustrations are poor copy______ 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy_ 6. Print shows through as there is text on both sides of page_____ 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several pages_______ 8. Print exceeds margin requirements______ 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost in spine______ 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct print______ 11. Page(s)____________lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page{s)____________seem to be missing in numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages numbered_____________. Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages______ 15. Other___________________________________________________________________________ University Microfilms International THE ORGANIZATION OF SPONTANEOUS ADULT SOCIAL PLAY DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By John Robert Bowman, B.A., M.S. ★ -k * it ■* The Ohio State University 1983 Reading Coinmittee : Approved By & Adviser Department of Sociology ACKNOWLE DGMENTS I wish to express my gratitude to all the members of m y Committee: to Gia Hinkle who contributed many insightful questions and suggestions during the many years of this re­ search process; to Sy Kleinman who encouraged me to ex­ perience firsthand the play phenomenon; and to Al Clarke who directed this dissertation. I also acknowledge my indebtedness to all the students who provided data for this research. These individuals trusted me enough to reveal some of the most intimate details of their daily lives, and thereby allowed us an opportunity to vicariously enter their worlds of play. Finally, I thank the New Games Foundation for showing me how to bring a little more play into my own personal life. To Emily Whittle, wife and play partner, I again express my appreciation for all of your sacrifices and assistance. My thanks also to Betty whittle whose editorial and typing skills were most appreciated during the final hours of this proj ect. VITA October 7, 19 47.......... Born - Hershey, Pennsylvania 1970 ...................... B.A., University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 1973 ...................... M.S., The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 1973-1975................. Teaching Associate, Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1977-1978................. Instructor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Denison University, Granville, Ohio 1979-1983 ................. Instructor, Department of Sociology, Pembroke State Uni­ versity, Pembroke, North Carolina PUBLICATIONS "Notes on the Organization of Spontaneous Adult Social Play." Michael A. Salter (ed.). Play: Anthropological Perspectives. West Point, New York: Leisure Press, pp. 239-259, 1978. "On Getting Even: Notes on the Organization of Practical Jokes." in John Loy (ed.), The Paradoxes of Play. West Point, New York: Leisure Press, pp. 65-75, 1982. UNPUBLISHED PAPERS PRESENTED AT MEETINGS "Anthropology of Work and Play." Paper presented to the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Anthropological Study of Play, San Diego, California, April, 1977. "Stratified Talk: The Production of Asymmetry in Psychiatric Diagnosing." Paper presented to the Conference on the Pheno­ menological Analysis of Asymmetrical Interpersonal Relations, Dayton, Ohio, May, 1977. (co-author: Stephen Pfohl). "New Games: An Approach to the Creation of a Play Community. Paper presented to the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Anthropological Study of Play, Bloomington, Indiana, March, 1978. "Talking Nonsense and Other Forms of Speech Play." Paper pre sented to the Annual Meeting of the Association for the An­ thropological Study of Play, Ann Arbor, Michigan, April, 1980 FIELDS OF STUDY Major Fields: Social Psychology Sociological Theory Marriage and Family Leisure, Sport and Play TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................... ii VITA............................................................... i ii LIST OF PLATES...................................................viii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ....................................... 1 Statement of Research Problem ................. 4 Approaches Guiding this Research............... 8 Significance of Study ........................... 11 Organization of Dissertation.................... 14 S u m m a r y ........................ 17 N o t e s ...............- ............................. 19 II. REVIEW OF PLAY LITERATURE......................... 21 Scientific Definitions of Play................. 22 Theories of Play.................................. 24 Historical Theories........................... 25 Surplus Energy Theory......................... 29 Practice/Developmental Theories............ 30 Ethological Theories ......................... 32 Sociological Theories......................... 34 Limitations of Existing Theories............... 39 S u m m a r y ............................................ 42 N o t e s ............................................... 43 III. FRAMING THE STUDY: REVIEW OF THEORETICAL APPROACHES .......................................... 4 5 Sociologies of Everyday Life.................... 46 Theoretical Foundations ......................... 52 Situational Determination of Meaning . 52 Problematic Nature of Social Reality . 54 Social Construction of Meanings............ 57 Fusion of Thinking and Feeling ............ 58 S u m m a r y ............................................ 60 v Page III. continued N o t e s ............................................ 63 IV. DOING THE STUDY: ETHNOGRAPHIC AND EXISTENTIAL METHODS 6 5 Research Strategies ........................... 68 Participant Observation......... ... 70 Informants' Accounts ...................... 77 Experiential Descriptions................. 82 Still Photography........................... 84 Research Questions................... .. 89 S u m m a r y .......................................... 95 N o t e s ............................................ 98 V. MAKING WORK PLAY ................................ 101 The Work society................................ 10 2 Playing on the Job............................. 10 4 Making Work Play................................ 112 S u m m a r y .......................................... 115 Note............................................... 118 VI. "PLAYFUL GAMES": CREATING NEW GAMES .... 119 "Serious Games" ................................ 120 "Playful Games": Playing with Games. 123 Spontaneous Games........................... 124 Silly and Ridiculous G a m e s ............... 12 8 Playing at Playing Games ................. 132 Combination Games ........................ 133 Rules for Changing Rules...................... 139 S u m m a r y .......................................... 14 3 N o t e s ............................................ 145 VII. TALKING NONSENSE AND OTHER TYPES OF SPONTANEOUS SPEECH PLAY....................................... 146 Play