The Methodological and Expert Dimensions of Play Organization.

Abstract

It is reasonable to assume that certain forms of activity accompany the human being throughout life, with play being the most significant. For preschoolers, play serves as both a means of personality development and a form of socialisation. Play presupposes the existence of rules that must be followed – both universal and specific to a particular game. These rules are arranged hierarchically and have either an explicit or implicit author. While the authorship of ancient games is often obscure, modern games typically have identifiable creators. ‘Following the rules’ in the common sense of the expression is a sine qua non of play. Depending on the intended agent of the game – whether a child of a certain age or an adult pursuing particular goals – as well as its linguistic status and other factors, a game may demand specialised professional knowledge. In the educational process, for example, the use of play in its various forms requires specific managerial knowledge and pedagogical expertise. Games – unless one is a developer of modern video games, which ultimately also involve a team effort – are not constructed independently but require either adherence to existing rules or the development of new ones. This happens even when a child plays alone and engages in creative activity, reconstructing and modifying forms of play or actions previously experienced with adults or other children. Play generates a special language for rule description, which develops in the course of a game, while the conceptual frameworks and play organisation rules in the language of chess and football will differ. Simultaneously, universal methodological guidelines exist for organising play. The pursuit of these universal methodological elements constitutes the central focus of this article.