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Child's Play: A Multidisciplinary Perspective

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Abstract

Competition obscures the realities and significance of play, in particular, the bodily play originating in infancy and typical of young children. A multidisciplinary perspective on child's play elucidates the nature of child's play and validates the distinction between competition and play. The article begins with a consideration of ethological research on play in young human and nonhuman animals, proceeds to a consideration of psychological research on laughter as a primary kinetic marker of play, and ends with a philosophical examination of the foundational moral significances of child's play.

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  1. Department of Philosophy, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403-1295, USA

    Maxine Sheets-Johnstone

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  1. Maxine Sheets-Johnstone
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Sheets-Johnstone, M. Child's Play: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. Human Studies 26, 409–430 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HUMA.0000003668.23164.7d

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