The Power of Place in Play ─ A Bourdieusian Analysis of Auckland Children's Seasonal Play Practices

"There's nothing really fun about the park in winter!" In this book, Christina Ergler explores why "play" resonates differently across urban localities and seasons. She draws on Bourdieu's theory of practice and Gibson's affordance theory to show that determinants of seasonal outdoor play transcend modifiable barriers such as traffic and unsuitable play spaces, as well as the inevitable issue of inclement weather. In contrast, seasonal play determinants are grounded in locally constituted beliefs about what is seasonally "appropriate" children's activity. To foster a healthier and more sustainable life for children, outdoor play needs to become convenient all year round in all locations.

Christina R. Ergler is a lecturer in social geography at the University of Otago. Her research interests are at the intersection of geography, sociology, and public health and center on interdisciplinary approaches to health and well-being, sociospatial health inequalities, experiential dimension of health and well-being, and participatory research methods.