I have been taking a class about “play” in college recently. The class has been teaching me all kinds of things ranging from the wide variations of play throughout different eras and across many cultures, but more importantly, I’ve been studying the politics of play...who controls and manages play, who gets to play and who doesn’t and why, etc. The definition of play has also been expounded upon with some saying it is merely the opposite of work, yet others arguing some work is fun and some play is not fun, such as junior high P.E. classes. I had never really thought about many of these topics before (which is why I love school, it brings new topics to you), and I am realizing that play is very complex.

The topic of competition has come up. When I (and many like me) look back on forced physical education in our school years, we think of the experience with dread and disdain. I did not ever have the same feelings about recess that I did about P.E. classes. It seems the difference between the two is that at recess I chose who I wanted to “compete” with, and at what games, and with the parameters we chose. In P.E., they lined you up in embarrassing outfits and forced you to play games you did not like or were no “good” at, with people you didn’t trust or barely knew in a very public fashion. No wonder I hated it!

Competition can be good. It can egg us on in a healthy way to try harder, to accomplish more. I remember my sister Cindy and I competed at diving tricks as kids. She learned how to do a front flip off our backyard pool’s diving board before I did, which got me going, so that I learned how to do a back flip before her, which she, of course had to learn, once I did. Competition can be healthy, but it can also kill a child’s spirit of play, such as that dreaded P.E. class I referred to above.

Blatner and Blatner, in their book, “The Art of Play,” (1988) say that competition can corrupt play when the drive to win overwhelms the pleasure of playing to a point where it is only fun to play if you win, or you will only play zero-sum games where there must be a winner. Winning becomes the primary goal of play then and that can take the fun out of play. Blatner and Blatner also discuss how, in a society that only values “winners,” or the “best” in game playing, people who don’t win very often quit playing as winning is the goal and to not win is failure. Another example of this sort of thing is when someone is told they don’t sing “well,” and thus quit singing even though they thoroughly love the experience of singing. Play that is neutral without a win or lose aspect to it is therefore very different than competition.

Judgments, such as whether you play “well,” often applied to sports, music, and art especially, can put the damper on the fun in play too. I think the main reason people are so afraid to dance, which can be really fun is the fear of judgment. Blatner and Blatner also talk about the fear of judgment, saying it makes people feel a need to justify their play, or people become afraid of making mistakes and therefore inhibit their play behaviors. Judgment as applied to play can be used as an enculturation tool, as the Greeks used it, or it can be used in a socio-economic sense as in the damning/shaming of play, as in the “Idle Hands are The Devil’s Playground” concept supported by religious zealots and Industrial Age champions.

The class divisions of play have also been an obvious component of who is told they must not get caught playing, and what kind of play people are allowed to engage in, etc. The poor are more often than not the ones told they had better not play, as any energy you have left over for play as a poor person should go back into work for the bosses’ profits. The only reason you were allowed down time was because you were too tired to work, is the idea. There is also a social more that adults are not to play, only kids should play. To play is to be immature, a negative trait for an adult, is the theory placed upon play in this example. Social restriction upon play vary from culture to culture, but the poor have the most stigma fed to them around play and have their play juxtaposed most often with work.

I find it interesting that there are “play theorists.” These are people who study and theorize on the topic of play. I did not even know that career option existed! In his work on the subject, French sociologist Roger Caillois identified four general classifications of games. He said they were 1) competition, 2) chance (such as gambling), 3) simulation (such as fantasy play), and 4) vertigo (such as amusement park rides and sports like downhill skiing). I think there are probably still more types of games, such as ritual or coming of age games that have the primary goal of social training or initiation, but I have not studied play enough to comment on the veracity of Mr. Caillois’ theories about play constructively.

Is work the opposite of play? If not, how do you define play? Although one definition seems implausible, there is still a recognition among sociologists that play behavior exists across nations, across ages, and that even animals play in a way that is recognizable as play. Some play can be earmarked as play due to unreal aspects, or fantasy. Some play is identified by the sensation of pleasure accompanying it. Some say play is a break from reality under a certain agreed-upon set of parameters of time, aggression, etc., such as bear cubs play fighting.

Some play is defined by when you do it, such as “leisure time.” Some say play is defined by where you do it, such as “mountaineering.” Some say play is defined by what it isn’t, such as “play is the opposite of work.” Play is inherent in healthy environments is a common theme. And I think there is merit to the argument that people who have guilt, stress, economic issues, shame, judgment, embarrassment, humiliation, stern discipline, etc., associated with play can become unhealthy in their avoidance of play to avoid the negative associations they have regarding play. Some say play is optional, but it may be that play is as essential as work for meaningful survival.

As I begin to allow myself the freedom to play a bit more in my own life, I see how much emotion I have around play! Guilt I need to let go of, rationalizations that are unnecessary, past fears of judgment I need to shed, trauma around play I need to grow past. A fun game of softball at a local park with friends is not in any way the torture that P.E. classes were and I need to remember that. Letting go of the baggage, and allowing myself the freedom to simply enjoy the present moment, and to just play for the sake of play, is harder than I thought it would be! It is...work, at times, for me!

“Play is not spontaneous in a spur-of-the-moment fashion; rather it is a lack of constraint or prescribed limitations.” – Shivers (1958)

What play do you consider work? Do you feel free enough to play? When, or why not? What play do you prefer on your adult recesses versus adult P.E. class activities, metaphorically? Are there times you can’t play, even if you want to, and have the means and time to? What role does play have in your life?