October 1, 2016 - 15:37
In the essay, “Playing in Industrial Ruins: Interrogating Teleological Understandings of Play in Spaces of Material Alterity and Low Surveillance,” Edensor and three other authors argue that
an attentiveness to playfulness in industrial ruins offers an opportunity to think about the role of ‘wild’ spaces within the contemporary city, and the potential ‘wildness’ present in more managed urban spaces which might offer possibilities for playful transformation (77).
Edensor and his co-authors claim that such wild spaces help children to attempt new things that they never thought of before. From this perspective, I see Free Rein’s experience as an example of such a “wild spaces,” because when she was growing up, there were no other girls in her age spectrum in her neighborhood, so she played with boys. It was very hard for her to adjust in that group, however, she eventually became really good friends with each other. If she had other girls to play with, she might not have chance to play with the others. If she had other girls to play with she, might not have chance to play with other boys. Thinking from Edensor’s perspective, Free Rein’s environment is the space that provides “possibilities for playful transformation.” In Free Rein writes that “I played all their games, and they actually treated me as one of their own … I could barely remember that I was female” (“Play”). She had a unique experience that not all girls can go through, and because of her unique experience, she could have other types of playing.
However, contrasting to Edensor and his co-authors’ perspective, in her another posting, Free Rein claims that play have both positive and negative sides. She said, play “can be considered problematic or even hazardous” (“Problematic play”). Being only girl among boys made her felt excluded, which can result “low self-esteem, fear or even resistance” (“Problematic play”). As Free Rein mentioned, play can be traumatic to some kids who experienced bullying or segregation. Also, Free Rein’s experience is somewhat extreme case, because she just played with boys due to her unique circumstance. Although her unique environment can be a “wild space” that Edensor and his co-authors think, I think in order to grow creativity children also need to experience non-extreme case, because they need to encounter new environment to learn differences, which can broaden their perspectives and eventually grow their creativity.
Moreover, Edensor and his co-authors also need to acknowledge destructivity of play, because children can be very cruel. Because they are naïve, they do not know their influence upon others. This is why “segregation, … bullying or bossing others around and fighting is common in children” (“Problematic play”). Because of this, when they encounter new environment, they might experience traumatic event.
<Citation>
Tim Edensor, Bethan Evans, Julian Holloway, Steve Millington and Jon Binnie. Playing in Industrial Ruins: Interrogating Teleological Understandings of Play in Spaces of Material Alterity and Low Surveillance. Urban Wildscapes. Ed. Anna Jorgensen and Richard Keenan. New York: Routledge, 2011. 65-79.
Free Rein. “Play.” September 20, 2016 (1:22 am.). Accessed September 22, 2016. /oneworld/changing-our-story-2016/play-1
Free Rein. “Problematic play.” September 26, 2016 (5:42 pm). Accessed September 30, 2016. /oneworld/changing-our-story-2016/problematic-play-9