The Enculturative Function of Toys and Games in Ancient Greece and Rome
Jaime Marie Layne
University of Maryland: College Park, PhD Dissertation (2008)
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the enculturative function of children’s toys and games in ancient Greece and Rome. Children’s play has been shown to affect their development on many different levels including cognitive, behavioral, and psychological. Play is also one method through which cultures work to enculturate children. Enculturation is the process by which cultural values and behaviors are transmitted from adults to children.
In chapter 1, I review the historical background of study of enculturation. In chapter 2, I discuss the evidence for ancient Greek and Roman children’s toys and games. In chapter 3, I examine the contribution toys and games made to the enculturation of children in ancient Greece and Rome.
I conclude that, while children’s entertainment was not the only method of enculturation used in ancient Greece and Rome, it was one important part of the network of cultural institutions focused on this process.
Children’s toys and games can be found in every culture throughout time. There are toys and games which are found in multiple cultures, yet, at the same time, they can be very culturally specific. The ubiquity of these entertainments suggests that they made some sort of contribution to society on a cross-cultural level, but the cultural specificity suggests that the contribution was not restricted to the physical development of children. What, then, was the function of children’s games and toys? There are several theories concerning the purpose of play, and one of these theories concerns a process known as enculturation. Enculturation is defined as “the process by which the cultural heritage is transmitted from generation to generation.” institutions such as religion, schooling, and entertainment have some level of enculturative function. What, then, was the enculturative function of toys and games, specifically within the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome?
Jaime Marie Layne
University of Maryland: College Park, PhD Dissertation (2008)
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the enculturative function of children’s toys and games in ancient Greece and Rome. Children’s play has been shown to affect their development on many different levels including cognitive, behavioral, and psychological. Play is also one method through which cultures work to enculturate children. Enculturation is the process by which cultural values and behaviors are transmitted from adults to children.
In chapter 1, I review the historical background of study of enculturation. In chapter 2, I discuss the evidence for ancient Greek and Roman children’s toys and games. In chapter 3, I examine the contribution toys and games made to the enculturation of children in ancient Greece and Rome.
I conclude that, while children’s entertainment was not the only method of enculturation used in ancient Greece and Rome, it was one important part of the network of cultural institutions focused on this process.
Children’s toys and games can be found in every culture throughout time. There are toys and games which are found in multiple cultures, yet, at the same time, they can be very culturally specific. The ubiquity of these entertainments suggests that they made some sort of contribution to society on a cross-cultural level, but the cultural specificity suggests that the contribution was not restricted to the physical development of children. What, then, was the function of children’s games and toys? There are several theories concerning the purpose of play, and one of these theories concerns a process known as enculturation. Enculturation is defined as “the process by which the cultural heritage is transmitted from generation to generation.” institutions such as religion, schooling, and entertainment have some level of enculturative function. What, then, was the enculturative function of toys and games, specifically within the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome?
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