DOCUMENT RESUME ED 396 824 PS 024 276 AUTHOR Lindqvist, Gunilla TITLE The Aesthetics of Play: A Didactic Study of Play and Culture in Preschools. Uppsala Studies in Education 62. RE"ORT NO ISBN-91-554-3506-8; ISSN-0347-1314 PL. ATE 95 NOTE 231p.; Doctoral Thesis, Uppsala University. PUB TYPE Dissertations/Theses Doctoral Dissertations (041) TEDRS PRICE MF01/PC10 Plus Postage. ----DESCRIPTORS *Aesthetic Values; Child Caregivers; Comparative .Amalysis; *Cultural Influences; Dramatics; Early Childhood Education; Foreign Countries; Games; Learning Activities; *Play; Teaching Methods; *Young Children IDENTIFIERS Froebel (Friedrich); Sweden; Vygotsky (Lev S) ABSTRACT Based on Vygotsky's theory amongst others that play reflects different aspects of children's development and culture, this thesis explores in depth how aesthetic activities can influence a children's play and the nature of the connections between play and culture, primarily in the aesthetic forms of drama andliterature. The thesis also presents ideas on testing and developing modelsfor an aesthetic pedagogy of play in preschool.Part 1 of the thesis presents the background and theoretical starting points of this didactic study, and includes discussions of the role of play in Swedish Preschools, the Froebel pedagogy, developmental theories of psychology and play pedagogy, as well as the different traditions of research into play ani the need for an aesthetic approach. Part 2 discusses interpretations and analysis of different types of pedagogy, ideas in creating a play world for children, and examples of games that can reinforce children's sensitivity to role, dramatization, and aesthetics. Part 3, the conclusion, discusses the meaning of dramatic action in play, the roles of adults, play development in classes, and the linkage between play and children's culture. Results of a survey of child care workers in one Swedish municipality are appended. Contains 250 references. (MOK) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ********************************************************************** U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office ot Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) )(This document has been reproduced as received from tne parson or organization originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy Gunilla Lindqvist The Aesthetics of Play A Didactic Study of Play and Culture in Preschools C:\t UPPSALA 1995 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY ClA.V11k _ roTHE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES %INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) BEST COPY AVAILABLE Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis Uppsala Studies in Education62 Gunilla Lindqvist The Aesthetics of Play A Didactic Study of Play and Culture in Preschools UPPSALA 1995 Doctoral thesis at Uppsala University 1995 ABSTRACT Lindqvist, G., 1995: The Aesthetics of Play. A didactic study of play and culture in pre- schools. Acta iJniversitatis Upsaliensis.Uppsala Studies in Education62. 234 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 91-554-3506-8. This didactic study of the aesthetics of play examines the connections between play, drama and literature. The aim is to develop a creative pedagogy of play for Swedish preschools. The study is a reaction against the preschool approach to play as a "free" activity and an expression for children's self-regulation, instead of an approach which regards play as a cultural activity which concerns both adults and children. On a basis of Vygotsky's cultural historical theory, amongst others, and theories of drama pedagogy, an approach to play is developed, which recognizes a dynamic connection be- tween children's play and the cultural influence of their environment. A cultural theme is tried in a didactic project: "Alone in the big, wide world". The narrative is the main thread, drama pedagogic methods are used and the structural basis is the form of play. The project was carried out at a day-care centre in Karlstad, and lasted for a period of 12 moitths. The results show that a common playworld helps developing play in preschools, and this is created in relation to a cultural context. The multi-layered text prevents the play from becoming one-dimensional and stereotype. The dramatic action is vital as it provides the play with a meaning. The adults' dramatized characters give life to the play through their acting, and establish a dialogue with the children so that they can enter the play fiction. World, action and characters are all interconnected. This gives rise to the variety which develops the play and enables everyone to meet in the common playworld. Keywords:the aesthetics of play, preschool pedagogy, cultural historical theory (Vygotsky), drama, literature, playworld, dramatic action, (dramatized) character. Gunilla Lindqvist, Department of Education, Uppsala University, Box 2109, S-750 02 Uppsala, Sweden Gunilla Lindqvist 1995 ISSN 0347-1314 ISBN 91-554-3506-8 Cover design: Jerk-Olof Werkmäster Typesetting: Editorial Office, Uppsala University Printed in Sweden by Gotab, Stockholm 1995 Distributor: Almqvist & Wiksell International, Stockholm, Sweden Contents Preface 11 Part I: Background and Theoretical Starting-points CHAPTER 1: Introduction 15 Didactic projects and interdisciplinary teacher training 17 Aim 19 The outline and terminology of the thesis 19 CHAPTER 2: The Role of Play in Swedish Preschools 22 From the Frbbel pedagogy to the preschool-programme of today 24 The Fröbel pedagogy and attitude to play 24 The influence of child psychology over preschool pedagogy and the attitude to play 26 Dialogue pedagogy and approach to play 28 The 1980's emphasis on the structure of and the approach to play 29 Conclusion 30 A comparison of two approaches to play pedagogy: that of a play researcher and that of a drama pedagogue 31 Developmental theories of psychology and play pedagogy 32 A psychoanalytical theory of play 32 A cognitive theory of play 32 Theories of play which emphasize child socialization 33 Cultural and social anthropological theories on play 33 Drama pedagogic views on the pedagogy of play 35 The different traditions of research into play and drama 37 Summarising the conclusions 38 CHAPTER 3: Vygotsky and the Cultural Historical Theory of Play 40 A dialectic approach to knowledge 41 "The dialogical word" 42 An all-embracing cultural approach 43 The importance of art 43 The correspondence between the internal and the external 44 Imagination and reality 45 The imaginary process 47 Vygotsky's approach to playan aesthetic, cultural theory 48 Why do children play7 48 Comparison between Vygotsky and Leontiev/Elkonin 50 What is characteristic of play7 50 Comparison between Vygotsky and Leontiev/Elkonin 54 The role of play in children's development 55 Comparison between Vygotsky and Leontiev/Elkonin 56 CHAPTER 4: The Preschool as an Institution in Modern Society and the Need for an Aesthetic Approach 57 Thomas Ziehe's cultural analysis as part of the critical theory 58 The critical analysis of schools and preschools as institutions 59 The need for an aesthetic approach in schools and preschools 61 Part II: The Project CHAPTER 5: Research Method and Interpretation 67 Vygotsky's method of "double stimulation" 67 Using a didactic project as research method 68 Method of documentation 68 Interpretation and analysis 69 Model for analysis 70 A play pedagogic project 71 The theme 72 CHAPTER 6: Creating a Playworld 77 Frejaa feeling peoples the world 77 Fear comes to Freja 78 Dramatizationplay 80 Reality and imagination 81 The ad: Its want to be part of the playworki 82 "Pippi doesn't want to grow up" 83 The children's play 85 Transformations of play 85 Showing solidarity with the children 86 Valhallthe world is a stage 87 IP "Lisen Can't Sleep" 88 Child play and adult playfulness 90 The road to Moomin Valley 91 At theatre Valhall: "The invisible child" 92 Scene 1 : In the kitchen 92 Scene 2: At the beach 93 7 Little Mythe children's favourite 95 Puppet theatre and children's play 95 Tove Jansson's Moomin world 96 Who will comfort Toffle7 97 Enter, Toffle, and jcin Valhall's fun-fair party 98 Play and art 100 The message in the bottle 101 Toffle saves Miffle from Groke 102 A literary and dramatic world of play 105 Odenthe world is in the forest 107 Fear comes to Oden 108 Ghost game 108 The need for meaning 110 The house in the forest 111 Toffle chases Groke, saves Miffle and moves into the house 112 The aesthetic forms provide meaning and generate play 115 The story of Hybele±,!:-. develops 116 Hans story abom Hybelejen 118 The hunt for hybelejen 120 The trip to the Sättersholms 120 The story about Hybelejen creates several different meanings 122 Back to Freja 122 The children's play 123 The dangerous journey 123 Hybelejen comes to Freja 125 The balloon journey 126 Play analysis 129 Conclusion 130 How the common playworld was developed 132 Our participation in the spring term 132 CHAPTER 7: Playing and Dramatizing 135 Relation between play and cultural, aesthetic forms 135 The lyrical and musical patterns of playa theme with variations. 136 The dramatic and literary patterns of playbased on the folk-tale. 138 CHAPTER 8: Focusing on the Action 142 Play as adventurous journeys 142 The Children in the Jungle 142 Adventurotn, journeys at Oden 143 A pedagogic analysis of Oden's "journeys into the big, wide