Communicative Practices and Play Theory
In his 2005 publication, “At Play in the Fields of Writing: A Serio-Ludic Rhetoric,” Albert Rouzie argues that “the deeply entrenched divisions between work and play, seriousness and frivolity, and order and chaos…ultimately impoverished our culture’s approach to literacy” (27). This course will explore how some of these “deeply entrenched divisions between work and play” came about, and then it will examine how recent attempts to anneal the work/play split promise to positively impact our abilities to make and negotiate meaning in a rapidly changing world. Course readings will be drawn from a variety of fields and disciplines including Rhetoric and Composition, Literacy Studies, New Media Studies, Gaming Studies, Sociology, Psychology, Education and Anthropology. Recommended Preparation: ENGL 100 and a 200-level English course with grades of C or better.