Abstract
The significance of play in the construction of landscape involving the feedback relationships between social conventions and the individual and between the individual and physical space, contrastingly, has so far received only little scientific attention. Games, however, take on great significance in the process of socialization in order to introduce the socializing person into the interpretations, valuations, and practices of the social world, which applies correspondingly to landscape. Play is an essential element of comprehending the concept “landscape”. Accordingly, this present essay deals with conceptual considerations of the function of games in relation to the social and individual construction of landscape. The theoretical framing of landscape will be carried out within the theory of the three landscapes, following Karl Popper’s three worlds. This theoretical framing also involves fundamental considerations on the connection between games and landscapes, which will be illustrated in more detail by means of two case examples, i.e., model railroads and pinball landscapes. It is shown that the playful engagement with landscape takes place in two dimensions: On the one hand, role expectations, norms, and values associated with landscape are conveyed, thus providing guidance for individual construction and individual experience of landscape. On the other hand, landscape contingencies can be tested. They address norms of interpretation and evaluation of landscape that are considered as bound together. Moreover, innovations can be tested, which may have been established in the social understanding of landscape.
Highlights
If landscape is not primarily understood as a material object, but primarily as a social or individual construction, questions come into focus, such as how social interpretations and evaluations of landscape arise, how they acquire general validity, and how they are conveyed in the process of socialization
Popper’s Three Worlds Theory, before we look at the social meaning of games
In relation to the threefold objective formulated at the beginning of the paper, the following can be stated: (1) Karl Popper’s three worlds can be profitably applied to landscape research, as it provides a post-representational framework for the theoretical framing of the processes of feedback from Landscape 2 to Landscape 3 and Landscape 1
Summary
If landscape is not primarily understood as a material object, but primarily as a social or individual construction, questions come into focus, such as how social interpretations and evaluations of landscape arise, how they acquire general validity, and how they are conveyed in the process of socialization (among many: Cosgrove 1984, 1985; Proshansky et al 1983; Visscher and Bie 2008; Kühne 2008a; Stotten 2013). Indespensible elements of the socialization process are recreation time and games. A set of polarities are derived from the theoretical framework to facilitate empirical access to the relationship between landscape and game. This is tested by means of two case examples, i.e., model railroad landscapes and pinball landscapes. Regarding the structure of the article: This paper deals with conceptual considerations of the function of games in relation to the social and individual construction of landscape. We formulate fundamental considerations concerning the connections between games and landscapes These are explained in more detail by relating two case examples, model railway landscapes and pinball machine landscapes. The conclusion is dedicated to the contemplation of the results and further research needs within this context
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
