Adult Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Play on L¯ana’i

Oct 15, 2026

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Article examines how adult attitudes toward play on the Hawaiian island of L¯ana’i reflect links between play and culture. Based on a survey of ninety-two caregivers, the study analyzes beliefs about play’s value for children, encouraged and discouraged play types, and caregivers’ own involvement. Findings emphasize cultural connections and developmental benefits, especially through play that supports social cooperation, sharing, and group participation, while discouraging harmful or injurious play.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages29

Reading Time1 h 13 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Play Scholars and Cultural Connections

Parental Beliefs Shaping Children’s Play

Critiques of Western Standards in Play Research

Cultural Variability in Play Value

Adult Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Play on L¯ana’i • Robyn M. Holmes This article describes how adult attitudes toward play on the Hawaiian island of L¯ana’i reflect the connection between play and culture. It is based on a study of ninety-two caregivers (parents, grandparents, and other adult custodians), primarily representing individuals of Filipino, part Hawaiian, and Japanese heritages. These respondents completed a survey about the value of play for their children, the types of play they encouraged or discouraged, and the extent and nature of their own involvement in their children’s play. The caregivers acknowledged the importance of play for their children and its developmental benefits, particularly those connected to culture. In keeping with the more collectivist ideology of Pacific Rim cultures, the caregivers encouraged types of play that fostered social skills such as cooperation, sharing, and group play. They strongly discouraged types of play that might harm or injure children. And they acknowledged the need for caretakers to set aside time to participate in their children’s play. Introduction Scholarly pursuits of play have always acknowledged the connection between play and culture. As Roopnarine and Johnson (1994) noted, The Association for the Study of Play (TASP), for example, has a membership that is interdisciplinary in nature. Its fields of study include play, leisure, folklore, education, anthropology, and psychology—a diversity that testifies to the different vantage points from which play is studied. The relationship between play and culture is duly noted in many of TASP’s affiliated publications such as its early journal Play & Culture and its premier annual series, Play & Culture Studies. Indeed, play scholars have made the notion that play reflects cultural mastery and that cultural values and attitudes are reflected in play a cornerstone of research in the field (Sutton-Smith 1986, 1997; Sutton-Smith and Roberts 1971) . One particular area of inquiry that addresses the intersection of culture and play concerns the way parental attitudes, beliefs, and cultural values shape children’s play. In comparison to other topics, however, this area is considerably 356 © 2011 by The Strong underexplored in the play literature (Roopnarine et al. 2003) . In 1994 Roopnarine et al. looked at the relationship between play and culture by investigating parent-child play interactions in Southeast India. They noted the interconnectedness between adult attitudes toward play and the cultural belief that play holds no benefit for development. Thus, parents engaged in play and games with their offspring only for their children’s enjoyment and did not attach developmental advantages to such parent-child play interactions. Harkness and Super (1996) pursued a similar line of inquiry in their work addressing the relationship between developmental outcomes and the belief systems of parents in diverse cultures. In their effort to expand the play literature, Roopnarine et al. (1994) considered contemporary criticisms that researchers focus too much on European American children and they too often apply Western values in non-Western and developing nations to interpret and explain play across cultures. Most recently, Gaskins and Miller (2009) echoed the pervasiveness of Western thinking and the use of European American children as the standard in play research. In their view, such a standard is responsible for the dearth of analyses that explore the influence of culture on play. Roopnarine et al. (2003) noted that not all cultures view playas an important activity. Although Western thinking posits a connection between children’s play, learning, and development, some cultures do not recognize these benefits and outcomes. In fact, in some cultures, play has no apparent value and is viewed asa superfluous activity. In Mexican culture, children’s participation in work and work-related activities is deemed far

FAQs

What does the study focus on regarding play on L¯ana’i?

It investigates how adult attitudes toward play reflect connections between play and culture, especially in relation to children’s development.

Who participated in the research and what did they complete?

Ninety-two caregivers completed a survey about the value of play for their children, which play types they encouraged or discouraged, and how involved they were in their children’s play.

What types of play did caregivers tend to encourage or discourage?

Caregivers encouraged play that fosters social skills like cooperation, sharing, and group play, and they strongly discouraged play that could harm or injure children.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McGucket