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Imagination and culture
Jan. 26th, 2007 06:29 pmToday I went to a brownbag, "An exploration of magical and everyday themes in the elaborated role play of children in three cultures," by Marjorie Taylor, who specializes in imaginary friends. They're going to be comparing the imaginary play of children here in Eugene with members of eight Native ethnicities in Homer, Alaska, and Mayan children in an isolated Yucatan village.
The three cultures are very different - here we encourage imaginary play and consider it a desirable sign of creativity, which we supplement with toys and lots of access to fictional material. In the Mayan village, children's imagination is discouraged, and the word for "fantasy" basically means "deceit." (Remind anyone of Galaxy Quest?) In Alaska, there's a strong emphasis on magical storytelling.
Marjorie mentioned three types of imaginary play: having invisible friends, interacting with personified objects (such as stuffed animals), and assuming pretend identities. She also contrasted "What is?" playing, in which children imagine real-life activities, with "What if?" playing, which can include magic and super powers.
The three cultures are very different - here we encourage imaginary play and consider it a desirable sign of creativity, which we supplement with toys and lots of access to fictional material. In the Mayan village, children's imagination is discouraged, and the word for "fantasy" basically means "deceit." (Remind anyone of Galaxy Quest?) In Alaska, there's a strong emphasis on magical storytelling.
Marjorie mentioned three types of imaginary play: having invisible friends, interacting with personified objects (such as stuffed animals), and assuming pretend identities. She also contrasted "What is?" playing, in which children imagine real-life activities, with "What if?" playing, which can include magic and super powers.