AccueilToys Matter: The Power of Playthings

AccueilToys Matter: The Power of Playthings

*  *  *

Publié le vendredi 22 juillet 2022

Résumé

The overarching conference theme, Toys Matter: The Power of Playthings, is designed to span the role toys play in our individual and collective identities, the various ways they reflect and shape our worlds (both positively or negatively), and the impact of technology, environmental concerns and societal/cultural crises on toy design, manufacture and use. Sessions will provide toy scholars and industry professionals opportunities to reflect on extant toy research while looking forward to expand our understanding of what counts as a toy, the power of playthings, and the many ways they matter -- for both children and adults. We invite work that examines the power of playthings both historically and in our ever-changing worlds, especially as we navigate these precarious and even perilous times. All play objects (i.e., physical, digital or hybrid) are included in the scope of toys to be discussed including games and indoor and outdoor play spaces.

Annonce

Argument

The 9th World Conference of the International Toy Research Association will be held in collaboration with theStrong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York USA.

The International Toy Research Association (ITRA), founded in 1993, will celebrate its 30th anniversary during the 9th World Conference. ITRA is an interdisciplinary organization devoted to the scientific study of toys in all their facets, bringing together toy researchers from around the world to discuss research,collaborate on international projects and exchange information with other researchers, students and leadersin the toy industry (see www.itratoyresearch.org for more information). More than 80 internationaldelegates attended our 2018 meeting in Paris, France.

The Strong National Museum of Play is a highly interactive, collections based museum devoted to the history and exploration of play. It is one of the largest history museums in the United States and one of the leading museums serving families. The Strong houses the world’s largest andmost comprehensive collection of historical materials related to play and is home to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, the National Toy Hall of Fame, the World Video Game Hall of Fame, theBrian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, the Woodbury School, and the American Journal of Play.Together, these enable a multifaceted array of research, exhibition, and other interpretive and educational activities that serve a diverse audience of adults, families, children, students, teachers, scholars, collectors,and others around the globe.

The overarching theme for the 9th ITRA World Conference is Toys Matter: The Power of Playthings.

From ITRA’s beginning, the idea that toys mattered was a founding principle that put the toys themselves on center stage. During the first world conference, ITRA co-founder Brian Sutton-Smith (1997) highlighted the importance of toy research, quipping that, “we’re not just toying around here.” Rather, he argued that toys and toy research mattered because it was only by carefully examining the contexts in which we find toys, the worlds of discourse created from them, and their power to shape our private and collective imaginations that we could comprehend the power of the toys we play with.

As the tools of serious fun, toys have the power to inspire, to promote learning and skill development, to forge and maintain connections with others, and to open new worlds of possibilities. At the same time, it isn’t always fun and games in Toyland. Toys are also used to grieve, to console, and to cope. They can afford comfort during lockdowns or in the aftermath of natural and human-made disasters.

In the face of social unrest or geopolitical turmoil, they can be transformed into instruments of protest and resistance. The power of playthings is multi-layered and multi-faceted. Toys empower and heal. However, they can also oppress and harm. From safety concerns, to environmental and psychological impacts, to the question of who is represented and how, the quality and characteristics of toys matter.

The 9th ITRA World Conference provides opportunities to not only reflect on the last 30 years of toy research but to also look forward in order to broaden the scope of what counts as a toy, and to expand our understanding of the power of playthings and the many ways they matter -- for both children and adults. This conference is a timely opportunity for toy researchers, designers, inventors, advocates, archivists and other toy professionals to discuss the role toys play in our individual and collective identities, and the various ways they reflect and shape our worlds (both positively or negatively), as well as the impact of technology, environmental concerns and societal/cultural crises on toy design, manufacture and use. We invite work that examines the power of playthings both historically and in our ever-changing worlds, especially as we navigate these precarious and even perilous times.

All play objects, whether physical, digital or hybrid, are included in the scope of toys to be discussed at this conference. This includes games, as well as indoor and outdoor play spaces.

The scientific committee encourages submissions of abstracts that relate to the main conference theme from all disciplines, as well as other toy related topics including but not limited to:

  • Art & Artistry of Toys
  • Collecting, Collections & Preservation - from Toy Boxes to Exhibitions
  • Indigenous and Folk Toys
  • Intersectionality, Inclusivity and Intergenerational Toys
  • Games and Gamification
  • Multi-modal Toys, the Metaverse and Hybridization
  • Outdoor Toys, Playspaces, and Toys in Nature
  • People behind Playthings
  • Socialization, Identity, and Development through and with Toys
  • Toy Advertising, Markets & Trends
  • Toys As and Through History
  • Toy Design, Safety & Sustainability
  • Toy Innovations, Transitions, and Subversions
  • Toys for Teaching, Learning, and Social Justice
  • Toys and Technology including Digital, Electronic and Virtual Toys & Games
  • Toys Throughout the Lifespan
  • Trauma Responsive and/or Therapeutic Toys

We welcome abstracts of completed research, case studies and development projects, including those in process or development, as well as ideas for future research in order to generate discussion and feedback.

To submit a paper, symposium, workshop, or poster

To present a paper, organize a symposium/panel or workshop, or present a poster please submit a complete abstract in English, with all requested information as described below

by December 31, 2022.

All submissions must be made within our online portal.

The first time you access the submission portal you will be asked to register as a user. Please note that the contact information entered in the registration process will only be used by ITRA for the purposes of managing your submission and contacting you about its status. Only complete submissions will be considered for acceptance to the conference. Questions or issues regarding the submission process should be directed to the conference chair, Dr. Greta Pennell at gpennell@uindy.edu

Papers

This submission category is intended for individual papers that are being submitted independently by its author(s). Papers that are part of a panel/symposium should be submitted as a package by the session organizer (see below). The abstract must include a brief introduction or purpose statement, concise description of the methodology/inquiry approach, data/results, discussion and/or conclusion (400 word limit). Please note, that in the case of projects still in progress, tentative or anticipated findings should be described. In addition, the title of the abstract, names, affiliations and email addresses of all authors/contributors must be provided. Authors should also provide up to 3 keywords that best describes their paper. Keywords are used to organize presentations into appropriate sessions, so please choose words that clearly describe the focus of your work. Paper presentations are limited to 20 minutes, with an additional 10 minutes for questions and comments.

Symposia/Panels are designed to address an important topic, issue and/or to highlight new advances, methods/approaches, or emerging areas of interest. Symposia generally feature 3-4 presentations by people from different institutions, perspectives, and/or traditions in toy research, design and/or industry. Sessions will be limited to 2 hours and must include dedicated time for question/answer and discussion. Submissions should include an overall title for the symposium. The abstract should clearly communicate the importance of the main topics addressed, overall goals for the session, and brief description including each participant’s contribution to the symposium and individual titles if appropriate (400 word limit).

Workshops are highly interactive sessions focused around an activity or problem-based discussion that provides useful and/or tangible takeaways for participants. Submitted abstracts for workshops must describe the workshop’s importance/relevance, outline its overall structure, learning objectives/goals, and intended audience and key takeaways (400 word limit). In addition to the abstract, a list of expendable materials and/or any special requirements (e.g., space or equipment) is also required. Workshop leaders should plan on providing all materials needed for the workshop. Workshop activities must be able to be completed within a 2-hour session.

Posters are 2-dimensional displays with a high level of visual interest presented during a 90-minute, regular session. Poster presenters are expected to be at their poster throughout the session to interact with and address questions from interested conference attendees on a 1:1 basis. As with submissions of papers, the abstract must include a brief introduction or purpose statement, and concise description of the methodology/inquiry approach, data/results, discussion and/or conclusion (400 word limit). In addition, the title of the abstract, names, affiliations and email addresses of all authors/contributors must be provided. Authors should also identify up to 3 keywords that best describes their paper. Keywords are used to organize posters into appropriate sessions, so please choose words that clearly describe the focus of your work.

The scientific committee will review your abstract or proposal for its suitability to the conference. You will receive a reply by March 1, 2023.

Conference registration opens on March 1, 2023. Participants must register for the conference prior to the deadline of May 1, 2023 in order to take advantage of the early registration fee. Registration closes July 1, 2023.

Publications

Conference proceedings will be published in the open archive HAL. HAL is an online scientific research document repository. It is on this platform that the proceedings of the 8th ITRA World Conference (Paris 2018) have been published. They can be consulted at: https://hal-univ-paris13.archives-ouvertes.fr/ITRA2018/

Participants who wish to have their full paper published in the HAL must submit it to Greta Pennell (gpennell@uindy.edu) by October 15, 2023.

Committees

Scientific Committee

  • Mark Allen, Serious Fun Research Labs, UK
  • Anna Beresin, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, USA
  • Doris Bergen, Miami University, USA
  • Gilles Brougère, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, France
  • Véronique Dasen, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Miriam Forman-Burnell, University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA
  • Jeffrey H. Goldstein, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • Cleo Gougoulis, University of Patras, Greece
  • Stephen Kline, Simon Fraser University, Canada
  • Greta Pennell, University of Indianapolis, USA
  • Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, Eastern Connecticut State University, USA

Organizing Committee

  • Greta Pennell, Conference Committee Chair & ITRA Board Member, University of Indianapolis, USA
  • Mark Allen, ITRA President, ex officio, Serious Fun Research Labs, UK
  • Suzanne Seriff, ITRA Board Member and Secretary; University of Texas at Austin, USA
  • Kathleen Alfano, University of Buffalo Early Childhood Research Center Advisory Board, USA
  • Chris Bensch, The Strong National Museum of Play, USA
  • Mary Couzin, Chicago Toy & Game Group dba People of Play (POP), USA
  • Kati Heljakka, University of Turku, Finland
  • Steve Jacobs, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA
  • Karl Rosengren, University of Rochester, USA
  • Guangyu Tan, State University of New York-Fredonia , USA

Lieux

  • 1 Manhattan Square Dr
    Rochester, États-Unis (14607)

Format de l'événement

Événement uniquement sur site


Dates

  • samedi 31 décembre 2022

Fichiers attachés

Mots-clés

  • toy, interdisciplinary

Contacts

  • Greta Pennell
    courriel : gpennell [at] uindy [dot] edu

Source de l'information

  • Greta Pennell
    courriel : gpennell [at] uindy [dot] edu

Licence

CC0-1.0 Cette annonce est mise à disposition selon les termes de la Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universel.

Pour citer cette annonce

« Toys Matter: The Power of Playthings », Appel à contribution, Calenda, Publié le vendredi 22 juillet 2022, https://doi.org/10.58079/19aj

Archiver cette annonce

  • Google Agenda
  • iCal
Rechercher dans OpenEdition Search

Vous allez être redirigé vers OpenEdition Search