Games and sport in everyday life : dialogues and narratives of the self / Robert Perinbanayagam.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Perinbanayagam, R. S., 1934-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Game theory.

Political science--Mathematical models.

Political science.

Physical Description:

xiii, 279 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Boulder : Paradigm Publishers, [2006]

Summary:

Games of many kinds have been played in all cultures throughout human history. This wide-ranging book explores the social and psychological processes involved in the playing of games. One player (or team) seeks to outwit another by undertaking various physical and communicative moves--not unlike conversations. Games have well-formed 'narrative' structures, analogous to myths, that are enacted by each participant to give play to his/her self and its attendant emotions. These plays of the self enable each agent to seek adventures and heroic moments. Going beyond the myth-making and catharsis that may be achieved by individuals, the author shows how games have been devised and played in particular societies and eras as means of promoting specific ideologies of a society, even social ideals such as utopias.

Contents:

Games : the self in dialogue and narrative

The structures of games

The self at play : the self in time, place, and position

The morality of games

Toward a heroic life

Reflexive catharsis

Gaming ideologies and playing utopias.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 259-267) and index.

ISBN:

159451108X

OCLC:

62302413