Research Themes and Major Projects

Playing for life: a case study in childhood, culture and transition

Playing for Life is anthropological research that explores the inner world and social understanding of children through their imaginative play. The field site is the remote Anangu community Ernabella in Central Australia, where children’s relationships with their family and peers and their experiential meanings are investigated through the prism of a traditional sand storytelling game played by girls.

The study seeks to contribute to basic knowledge on contemporary Indigenous childhood and towards establishing a methodology for this new research field. The research draws comparatively on psychotherapeutic research with Tiwi children in a northern island community, specifically with regard to the auto-therapeutic effect of play and the dynamics of transference. The project has led to collaborative work with Anangu organisations, including the production of tertiary teaching material, guest lectures for tertiary students at Ernabella, and an Anangu teachers conference co-presentation.

Project leader: Dr Ute Eickelkamp

Funding: Australian Research Council Discovery Project Scheme

Duration: 2005-2008