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Questioning intentions and academia

Emily Kingsley's picture

This is a long and winding exploration of some thoughts and concepts that have been on my mind for a while. The post centers around questions of intention in social justice work—why we do what we do and how (seemingly good) intentions might actually be damaging. I also write about sociology and academia, thinking about how these institutions can promote injustice even while purporting to fight against it.

Cops and robbers

Porkchop's picture

Through play, children experiment with different adult roles.  For fun, they manipulate the behaviors, actions, and ideas in adult interactions. However, when pretending to wear the shoes of an adult, children start to understand a lot of the problems that adults face in everyday life. They initially have fun, later realizing that their role models are actually in situations that are not fun at all. Playing cops and robbers becomes upsetting because the cops start to abuse their power. Through play, children start to realize this, and it can actually be damaging to children.

Problematic play

Free Rein's picture

As the saying goes, a coin has two sides. Play is essential for the growth and development of children, which is the head of play. The tail of it can be considered problematic or even hazardous for a fact. Play, especially in children, can have undesirable effects. This can be through segregation of some kids by others, bullying or bossing others around and fighting which is common in children. This can result to low self-esteem, fear or even resistance in some of them.

Playful Cruelty

AntoniaAC's picture

Children are cruel. That might be too much of a declarative statement, but when considered it holds quite a lot of truth. The untrained mind of a child is naive to the effects of words and action; children exclude, bully, and often cause lasting harm to one another future self image. Play is often the space where this cruelty is born becuase of the human contact that is associated. Children create heirarchies among themselves with leader and followers in an almost cultish way. Though intellectual, humorous, or dynamic superiority, specific children are singled out as top and other are the last picked for a kickball team. Play is useful to help development but it also allows young people with a freedom to hurt eachother.

Destructive play

Cathyyy's picture

Among all kinds of plays, destructive play is the one that creates most harmful outcomes--either to the places around or to the people themselves. Many articles we read were talking about the signifacance about play and how does it generates benefits to chldren mental and physical heath, but destructive play, as I originally thought, detrimental to one's health, For example, a child may learn selfishness by playing with his friends(mentally damage) or being hit by a car when play on the road (physically).

Problematic Play

Bdragon's picture

    I think the biggest problem with play is that I have is that I often associate it with my childhood. Now as a young adult I do not stop to play and use my imagination like I did as a kid. Society frown up when adults play, because they say it is childish. Although not only do I believe that adult's should fulfill their responsiblities, but also take the time to wind down and use their imagination. This might help them reboot and be even better at their jobs. That why many creative people want to work at google or youtube, because they have many video game centers, poll, and even slides located in there offices. It gives their employees the chance to relax, so they can do the best that they can in their job.

The isolation in the children's play

Raaaachel Wang's picture

When I was a kid, there was always a certain person or a certain group of people who was isolated by other children. They are always those who act differently with others (for example, too active or too quiet in class) or who barely speak with other children. Teachers always feel headache them because they’re always alone and unwilling to join other’s play. But actually it’s not their fault. People made fun of them. Whoever play with them or talk to them would be judged by others.

Problematic Play

EmmaP's picture

I think of play as a time for moving outside of the confines of the everyday, through activities like imagining and acting out fantastical scenarios, as children seem to do naturally, or by taking on new roles. Play becomes problematic when, rather than encouraging exploration of possibilities, it's limited by societal expectations or other unnecessary regulations. One of the places we see this most often is when parents, teachers, or even peers limit the play of others based on gender. Parents might refuse to buy their son a doll, because they consider it a girl's toy. Teachers might let boys roughhouse at recess, but stop girls from doing the same. This kind of restrictive play contributes to gender stereotypes, which can discourage people from pursuing opportunities later in life.

Problematic Play

Iridium's picture

Play can be problematic when a group of people involved into play are not at the similar levels of enthusiasm. If one of them feels tired of this play, the one’s tiredness will affect other people just like the effect of yawning. More and more people in the group get tired of this kind of play and finally they will agree to quit the play.

Then in the first place, one who raises the thought of the play may get hurt. Secondly, most people involved into the play will not enjoy themselves. As a result, some associative processes will followed, which we can never predict.