This research brings together two concepts that are often depicted as polar
opposites. Sutton-Smith (2001) however suggests that the opposite of play is not work, but
depression, and moreover echoes other scholars in reclaiming play as an essential human
expression, even for adults. This study, therefore, argues that, given the precarious wellness
territory our workplaces are in, something about work is not working. It is furthermore
proposed that, given all the evidence of the therapeutic potential inherent to play, there is
indeed something nutritious at play in play. Despite these well-supported arguments, play
remains hidden away in the academic shadows of more serious industrial psychological
preoccupations. Surprisingly, the same conspicuous absence is even mirrored in Positive
Psychology, a bustling field that claims to celebrate glee, fun, and happiness (Seligman,
2002a).
Entitled “An autoethnographic exploration of play at work,” this dissertation leans on the
metaphor of “exploration”, or more specifically, exploratory play. This results in two distinct
yet interwoven dimensions to the research study. Firstly, the research approaches the
phenomenon of play and play-based methods in workshop contexts through the lived
experience of the researcher. Secondly, the research project in itself is conceptualised as work,
and the methodology of autoethnography is conceptualised as a playful approach to this work
of conducting research. Aside from widening the research scope, this also appropriately
matches research methodology to the research domain. Aside from being about play at work,
this research also is play at work.
Autoethnography, as a recent development in qualitative research, remains
unconventional and somewhat controversial in the South African social sciences.
Autoethnography, as an offspring of ethnography, offers a method to reflexively incorporate
the researcher’s own lived experience in the study of culture as a primary source of rich
phenomenological data. Instead of minimising the emotive and subjective, this research amplifies and celebrates it. Given a fair degree of unfamiliarity in terms of autoethnography
as well the accusation of being overly self-centred, the experience of the researcher is then
complemented by the views of a number of co-creators to the culture being studied. This is
done through external data-gathering in the forms of a focus group as well as number of semistructured,
dyadic interviews. While therefore leaning more toward postmodern themes, this
research also incorporates what has been termed analytical autoethnography (Anderson, 2006),
wherein the researcher is a full-member of the setting being studied, is portrayed as such and
is committed to theoretical analysis. This study can therefore be summarised as an
autoethnographic case study that balances evocative and analytical styles (Vryan, 2006) while
emanating from the philosophical assumptions of interpretivism and subjectivism. Internal
realities and meaning-creation are thus emphasised rather than the received views of
positivism.
The central research question being explored is how play and play-based methods
promote work-related well-being. To answer this question, firstly, play and play-based
methods are explored, both from a theoretical and practical point of view. From within
workshop (pedagogical) contexts, the play-based methods considered throughout this study
include metaphor and story, creative-arts-based play, physical-body play and also the
uncelebrated yet essential methods of icebreakers and games. A preliminary taxonomy is
proposed for play-based methods to offer description and to facilitate reflection and learning.
Descriptive elements in this taxonomy include interactive vs. solitary, competitive vs.
cooperative, motor-sensory vs. cognitive-mind, participative vs. vicarious and rule-bound vs.
improvisational.
Building on this exploration of play-based methods, the second aspect explored in more
detail has to do with the more internal and subjective experiences of participants, or players, if
you like. These experiences are then related to prominent concepts encountered in Positive
Psychology to, by proxy, understand how they relate to work-related well-being. Significant
themes that emerge from this include play as fun, play as mind-body integration, play as
authenticity, play as community, and play as stress-relief and resilience. This is then woven
into a creative non-fiction, in accord with a trend in qualitative research called creative
analytical practices (CAP) (Richardson, 2000). This creative non-fiction, detailed in Chapter
4, forms a key autoethnographic output that animates all these themes in a way that is
accessible, evocative and playful. Chapter 5 complements this chapter with an in-depth
exploration of the research journey as a confessional tale. While adopting the metaphor of hiking in mountains (exploring nature), this confessional tale clarifies the research process
and incorporates an in-depth analysis of the themes, both in terms of research data as well as
literature. This is supported by a number of separate appendixes, including interview
transcripts, depictions of the interview analysis as well as a number of photos from the field.
In terms of its uniqueness and unconventionality, this research joins in the choir of related
work to incorporate more contemporary research genres into the social sciences in South
Africa. By doing so, it opens up doors to phenomena that simply resist being studied with the
ontological and epistemological assumptions of conventional modern science. Furthermore,
the effect and impact of this research is that it provides accessible and practical ideas as to
how a synthesis of play and work can help us renew and rejuvenate our work and workplaces.
That is, how we can come alive in the work contexts that risk becoming sterile, clinical and
inhuman in the wake of Taylorist reductionism and efficiency. Given that state of work and
workplace, and the productive and therapeutic potential in play, indeed, we are too busy not to
play. / Thesis (MCom (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/8460 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Kruger, Jacques |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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