Baskaran, D. (CM) – More than Just Fun: Exploring Meaningful Play, Communities of Play, and Relatedness of Play

Play is often seen as a form of entertainment, leisure, or childhood development. However, it also acts as a meaningful experience that shapes how people connect with others and interact with the world around them throughout their lives. Prior work on meaningful play and communities of play has mainly focused on individual experiences and participation, giving less attention to how meaning is socially co-constructed through playful interactions and to how these experiences contribute to relatedness, or the human need to feel connected to and belong with others, across physical, digital, and hybrid environments.

Using qualitative methods, this dissertation proposal explores how meaningful play is collectively constructed within communities of play and how it shapes relatedness among members. This work positions meaningful play as a socially and technologically embedded relational phenomenon rather than solely an individual experience. Across case studies of PlayStation trophy hunting, Pokémon Nuzlocke, LEGO, and theme park communities of play, this research explores how meaningful play within these communities contributes to relatedness among members. Ultimately, this dissertation proposal aims to advance a more holistic understanding of play as a process through which people build shared meaning, connection, and belonging in increasingly digital and hybrid social spaces.

Event Host: Derusha Baskaran, Ph.D. Student, Computational Media

Advisor: Kathryn Ringland

Zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/96290198842?pwd=xtoEw1aIa2fciTbhr6eB9s3PqbWGdF.1

Passcode: 404425