A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Play

Catalog description

This course examines how children from two different countries – the United States and Japan – play, and analyzes the influences of factors such as parents, environment, school, and culture. If travel is permitted, students will directly observe children at play in several different locations in each country – including (but not limited to) playgrounds, schools, play therapist’s offices, museums, indoor play places, zoos, and theme parks. Interviews with parents, teachers, therapists, and potentially children themselves will help to clarify how play is viewed and practiced in each culture. Readings on the evolution of play, the benefits of play, the practical applications of play (e.g., in education and in therapy), and cultural differences in play will be used to support and help to inform the data students will collect through the interviews and observations.