*CFP* PROPOSAL FOR SPECIAL ISSUE OF CULTURAL STUDIES JOURNAL, TAYLOR & FRANCIS

In the now classic Homo Ludens, Huizinga situates ‘play’ as the foundation of culture – the point from which all human structures, ideas, and societies stem. Sutton-Smith’s The Ambiguity of Play posits an equally broad scope, with ‘play’ encompassing everything from the imaginary, the development of individual identity and passing on of traditions through rituals, power-plays in politics and war, fate and games of chance, and pure frivolity and humour. The entertainment and creative industries are billion-dollar businesses, but Huizinga and Sutton-Smith imply that almost any aspect of human culture could be conceptualized as forms of play – and yet in so doing introduces great seriousness into such ‘games’.

The proposed special issue invites papers that explore the concept of play from the perspective of Cultural Studies. We particularly invite papers that interrogate the concept of play theoretically or engage in applications of play in new contexts. The issue aims to provide answers to the question: “What can Cultural Studies contribute to theories and practice of play, and how, in turn, might those theories and practice advance the field of Cultural Studies”.

Topic areas can include, but are not limited to, media and fan studies, tourism, philosophy, sociology, game studies, literature, humour studies.

For more information about the journal, please visit their website.

Please submit the following to playfulencounters@nottingham.edu.cn

• Abstract (300-500 words) 
• Biography (150-200 words) 
• Email address 
• Postal address 
• 6 keywords

Key dates

Abstract submission: November 30, 2018

Notification: December 14, 2018

Proposal submitted to Cultural Studies: early 2019