The Coupling of Play, Power and Pedagogy

Abstract

The question in this chapter is: In what ways are play, power and pedagogy coupled in creation games? The previous chapter necessitates an enquiry into the relation between play and power. Does power define play or is it the other way around so that power is now played into existence? But it also seems necessary to include the logic of pedagogy in the analysis because, contrary to the training games of the 1960s where play became pedagogized, the new creation games seem to empty pedagogy of all content so that it is merely a question of learning, and play is perceived as learning per definition. Furthermore, the pedagogical observations of play as learning and creating seem to support the new power perspective on play. Therefore, I will not only discuss the relation between the logic of play and power but also try to capture the hegemonic form, which causes play, power and pedagogy together to establish a new regime.