Toy Theory Technology And Imagination In Play
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Toy Theory
"Giddings explores the histories of toys and unpacks their relationship with technology, arguing that toys and play have always been technological and provide a unique framework to construct a philosophy of technology based around play rather than around tools. What if, this book asks, we rethink the anthropology and the philosophy of technology as driven by play and aesthetics rather than an immanent desire for control?"--
Toy Theory
A novel interpretation of the history and theory of technology from the perspective of toys, play, and play objects. Toy Theory addresses the relationships between toys and technology in two distinct but overlapping ways: first, as underexamined cultural artifacts and behaviors with significant technical attributes and, second, as playful and toylike dimensions of technology at large. Seth Giddings sets out a “toy theory” of technology that emphasizes the speculative, experimental, and noninstrumental in technological paradigms and argues that children’s playthings, rather than being the most ephemeral and inconsequential of technical devices, instead offer analytical and anthropological resources for understanding the materiality and imaginaries of technology over time. After defining toy theory in general and conceptual terms, Giddings examines different types of toys to explore shifting relationships between the microcosmic symbolic or mimetic content, material and technical constitution, and modes of play of toys and toy-related artifacts, on the one hand, and prevailing, macrocosmic, technological paradigms and imaginaries, on the other. Taking a broad historical and genealogical view, Giddings traces contemporary postdigital toy and play culture to precedents from the neolithic through to the Enlightenment to consumer culture from the early nineteenth century to the present day.
Once Upon a Toy
In the magical realm of children's play, toys and stories have a rich and complex relationship. In this collection, contributors analyze the many types of interplay between children's toys and narrative. Many of these essays explore how this relationship is portrayed in novels, films, and television programs. Others discuss how this relationship is shaped by broader historical and cultural narratives. Still other essays discuss how children create their own stories while playing with toys. Taken together, the essays speak to the myriad ways that toys are represented in popular narratives and provide insights into the meanings that toys hold for children, adults and society.