Playthings

Bibliographic Data

ID18954499
AuthorsMiguel Sicart (0000-0002-8356-5394, IT University of Copenhagen, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume17
Issue1
Pages140-155
Publication date2022-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGames and Culture (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1555-4120 • E-ISSN: 1555-4139
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/15554120211020380
OpenAlexW4247594994
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited38

This article proposes the concept of “plaything” as an instrument to inquire on the ontology and epistemology of the things we play with. Extending Barad’s (2007) onto-epistemology and Ingold’s (2012) concepts of “things” and “objects,” this article intends to provide a theoretical contribution to the materialist turn in game studies (Apperley, T. H., & Jayemane, D. (2012). The main argument of the article is as follows: the ontology of the things we play with is separate from its epistemology. The concept of playthings provides a materialistic ontology that accounts for the technologies we play with. At the same time, concepts like video games, toys, or games are understood as being epistemological concepts, used to create situated knowledge (Haraway, D. (1987) about playthings. Playthings help describe how a technology is shaped for and through play, while other concepts place the experience of playthings in culture and society

Child Development and Digital Technology · Computer Science · Digital Media and Philosophy · Innovative Human-Technology Interaction