In Play, At Play
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11575/jah.v0i0.53197Keywords:
hermeneutics, play, pediatric oncology, cancer campsAbstract
Abstract
It is surprising for many people to learn how restricted children with cancer are, both in their daily activities as well as in the bigger, more significant events in their lives. The treatment for cancer often leaves children with significant immune suppression; exposure to any kind of virus or infection could lead to a life-threatening event. Summer camp – a “rite of passage†for many kids – would be a forgone experience were it not for specialized children’s cancer camps.
This paper is intended to interpretively examine the concept of play in relation to children’s cancer camps. Much has been written about play both philosophically and scientifically, and while it might seem an obvious association, play and camp, I would suggest that like the word itself there is more complexity in this relationship than what first appears obvious. Children play at camp, of course, but there is much “at play†in them when they attend camp. As Gadamer (1960/1989) wrote, “something is going on…something is happening†(p. 104).References
Benner, P.E. (1994). Interpretive phenomenology: Embodiment, caring, and ethics in health and illness. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Bjorkland, D.F., & Pellegrini, A.D. (2000). Child development and evolutionary psychology. Child Development, 71, 1687-1708. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00258
Brown, S. (1998). Play as an organizing principle: clinical evidence and personal observations. In M. Bekoff & J.A. Beyer (Eds.), Animal play: Evolutionary, comparative, and ecological perspectives (pp. 242-251). Boston, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Brown, S. (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul. New York, NY: Penguin Group Inc.
Fisher, E. P. (1992). The impact of play on development: A meta-analysis. Play and Culture, 5(2), 159-181.
Gadamer, H. G. (1960/1989). Truth and method. (2nd rev. ed., J. Weinsheimer & D.G. Marshall, Trans.). New York: Continuum.
Gadamer, H.G. (1986). The relevance of the beautiful and other essays (N. Walker, Trans.) Boston, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Gadamer, H.G. (1994). Heidegger’s Ways (J.W. Staley, Trans.). Albany, NY: State University Press.
Gadamer, H.G. (1996). The enigma of health. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Gallagher, S. (1992). Hermeneutics and education. New York, NY: State University Press.
Goodall, J. (1986). The chimpanzees of Gombe. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Gordon, N.S., Burke, S., Akil, H., Watson, S.J., & Panskepp, J. (2003). Socially-induced brain ‘fertilization’: play promotes brain derived neurotrophic factor transcription in the amygdala and dorsolateral frontal cortex in juvenile rats. Neuroscience Letters, 341(1), 17-20. doi:10.1016/S0304-3940(03)00158-7
Greenough, W.T., & Black, J.E. (1992). Induction of brain structure by experience: substrates for cognitive development. In M.R. Gunnar, & C.A. Nelson (Eds.), Minnesota symposia on child psychology: Developmental neuroscience (155-200). Hillside, NJ: Lawrence A Erlbaum Associates.
Huber, R., Tonini, G., & Cirelli, C. (2007). Exploratory behavior, cortical BDNF expression, and sleep homeostasis. Sleep, 30(2), 129-139. Retrieved from http://www.journalsleep.org /Articles/300202.pdf
Landreth, G. (2001). Innovations in play therapy. New York, NY: Brunner-Routledge.
Lewis, P., Boucher, J., Lupton, L., & Watson, S. (2000). Relationships between symbolic play, functional play, verbal and non-verbal ability in young children. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 35(1), 117-127. doi:10.1080/ 136828200247287
McCaffrey, G., Raffin Bouchal, S., & Moules, (in press). Hermeneutics as a research approach: A reappraisal. International Journal of Qualitative Methods.
McMahon, L. (2003). The handbook of play therapy. London, UK: Routledge.
Miller, D.L. (1996). The Bricoleur in the tennis court: Pedagogy in postmodern context. Retrieved February 22, 2012 from http://www.imaginalinstitute.com/bricoleur.htm
Pellegrini, A.D., & Holmes, R.M. (2006). The role of recess in primary school. In D. Singer, R. Golinkoff, & K. Hirsh-Pasek (Eds.), Play=learning: How play motivates and enhances children’s cognitive and socio-emotional growth. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Pepler, D.J., & Ross, H.S. (1981). The effects of play on convergent and divergent problem solving. Child Development, 52(4), 1202-1210. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1129507
Perry, B.D., Hogan, L., & Marlin, S.J. (2000). Curiosity, pleasure and play: A neuro-developmental perspective. Haaeyc Advocate. Retrieved from www.childtrauma.org
Piaget, J. (1962). Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood. New York, NY: Norton.
play. (n.d.). Etymonline.com. Retrieved February 20, 2012 from http://www.etymonline.com /index.php?term=play
play. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved February 16, 2012 from http://www. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play
Spence, D.G. (2001). Hermeneutic notions illuminate cross-cultural nursing experiences. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 35(4), 624-30. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.2001.01879.x
Spence, D.G. (2005). Hermeneutic notions augment cultural safety education. Journal of Nursing Education, 44(9), 409-414. Retrieved from http://www.slackjournals.com/JNE
Stevenson, H.W., & Lee, S.Y. (1990). Contexts of achievement: a study of American, Chinese, and Japanese children. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development. 55(1-2), 1-123. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1166090
Wolfgang, C.H., Stannard, L. L., & Jones, I. (2001). Block play performance among preschoolers as a predictor of later school achievement in mathematics. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 15(2), 173-180. doi:10.1080/02568540109594958
Wyver, S.R., & Spence, S.H. (1999). Play and divergent problem solving: Evidence supporting a reciprocal relationship. Early Education and Development, 10(4), 419 – 444. doi: 10.1207/s15566935eed1004_1
Bjorkland, D.F., & Pellegrini, A.D. (2000). Child development and evolutionary psychology. Child Development, 71, 1687-1708. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00258
Brown, S. (1998). Play as an organizing principle: clinical evidence and personal observations. In M. Bekoff & J.A. Beyer (Eds.), Animal play: Evolutionary, comparative, and ecological perspectives (pp. 242-251). Boston, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Brown, S. (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul. New York, NY: Penguin Group Inc.
Fisher, E. P. (1992). The impact of play on development: A meta-analysis. Play and Culture, 5(2), 159-181.
Gadamer, H. G. (1960/1989). Truth and method. (2nd rev. ed., J. Weinsheimer & D.G. Marshall, Trans.). New York: Continuum.
Gadamer, H.G. (1986). The relevance of the beautiful and other essays (N. Walker, Trans.) Boston, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Gadamer, H.G. (1994). Heidegger’s Ways (J.W. Staley, Trans.). Albany, NY: State University Press.
Gadamer, H.G. (1996). The enigma of health. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Gallagher, S. (1992). Hermeneutics and education. New York, NY: State University Press.
Goodall, J. (1986). The chimpanzees of Gombe. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Gordon, N.S., Burke, S., Akil, H., Watson, S.J., & Panskepp, J. (2003). Socially-induced brain ‘fertilization’: play promotes brain derived neurotrophic factor transcription in the amygdala and dorsolateral frontal cortex in juvenile rats. Neuroscience Letters, 341(1), 17-20. doi:10.1016/S0304-3940(03)00158-7
Greenough, W.T., & Black, J.E. (1992). Induction of brain structure by experience: substrates for cognitive development. In M.R. Gunnar, & C.A. Nelson (Eds.), Minnesota symposia on child psychology: Developmental neuroscience (155-200). Hillside, NJ: Lawrence A Erlbaum Associates.
Huber, R., Tonini, G., & Cirelli, C. (2007). Exploratory behavior, cortical BDNF expression, and sleep homeostasis. Sleep, 30(2), 129-139. Retrieved from http://www.journalsleep.org /Articles/300202.pdf
Landreth, G. (2001). Innovations in play therapy. New York, NY: Brunner-Routledge.
Lewis, P., Boucher, J., Lupton, L., & Watson, S. (2000). Relationships between symbolic play, functional play, verbal and non-verbal ability in young children. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 35(1), 117-127. doi:10.1080/ 136828200247287
McCaffrey, G., Raffin Bouchal, S., & Moules, (in press). Hermeneutics as a research approach: A reappraisal. International Journal of Qualitative Methods.
McMahon, L. (2003). The handbook of play therapy. London, UK: Routledge.
Miller, D.L. (1996). The Bricoleur in the tennis court: Pedagogy in postmodern context. Retrieved February 22, 2012 from http://www.imaginalinstitute.com/bricoleur.htm
Pellegrini, A.D., & Holmes, R.M. (2006). The role of recess in primary school. In D. Singer, R. Golinkoff, & K. Hirsh-Pasek (Eds.), Play=learning: How play motivates and enhances children’s cognitive and socio-emotional growth. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Pepler, D.J., & Ross, H.S. (1981). The effects of play on convergent and divergent problem solving. Child Development, 52(4), 1202-1210. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1129507
Perry, B.D., Hogan, L., & Marlin, S.J. (2000). Curiosity, pleasure and play: A neuro-developmental perspective. Haaeyc Advocate. Retrieved from www.childtrauma.org
Piaget, J. (1962). Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood. New York, NY: Norton.
play. (n.d.). Etymonline.com. Retrieved February 20, 2012 from http://www.etymonline.com /index.php?term=play
play. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved February 16, 2012 from http://www. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play
Spence, D.G. (2001). Hermeneutic notions illuminate cross-cultural nursing experiences. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 35(4), 624-30. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.2001.01879.x
Spence, D.G. (2005). Hermeneutic notions augment cultural safety education. Journal of Nursing Education, 44(9), 409-414. Retrieved from http://www.slackjournals.com/JNE
Stevenson, H.W., & Lee, S.Y. (1990). Contexts of achievement: a study of American, Chinese, and Japanese children. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development. 55(1-2), 1-123. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1166090
Wolfgang, C.H., Stannard, L. L., & Jones, I. (2001). Block play performance among preschoolers as a predictor of later school achievement in mathematics. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 15(2), 173-180. doi:10.1080/02568540109594958
Wyver, S.R., & Spence, S.H. (1999). Play and divergent problem solving: Evidence supporting a reciprocal relationship. Early Education and Development, 10(4), 419 – 444. doi: 10.1207/s15566935eed1004_1
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2012-06-18
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