Taking Playful Scholarship Seriously: Discursive Game Design as a Means of Tackling Intractable Controversies

The article at hand explores the concept of playful scholarship, focusing specifically on use playfulness in re-assessing collaboration between academia and societal partners to tackle “intractable policy controversies” (Schön Rein 1994, p. 23)—i.e., challenges which opposing parties operate with conflicting frames (often without even noticing). After arguing that earlier attempts using games often only evoke rhetoric rather than spirit play (Sicart 2014) thereby limit spaces for actually we emphasize how heuristic game design (rather play) can help address this issue.To illustrate our point, draw a recent research project about drug policies Netherlands, concerns (among others) law enforcement, policy-makers healthcare workers are characteristically entangled. In project, first defined context as an “ecology games” (Long 1958; Lubell 2013) proposed two ‘base games’—one created from scratch other inspired by CIA-developed card Collection Deck. These were iteratively played diverse group academic non-academic stakeholders self-modifying rules allowed participants themselves engage “playful design” (Flanagan 2014), changing, adding or removing order identify where game-as-model deviated their lived experience (and they might translate experiences into ‘language’ game). Drawing ethnographic data collected over course six months, investigate contingent ‘versions’ boundary objects (Leigh Star 2010) facilitated attitude towards otherwise entrenched discourse Dutch policies.As basic frame reference, adapt Lieberman’s original definition playfulness, based “physical, social, cognitive spontaneity, manifest joy, sense humor” (2014, 23), Shen’s differentiation “situations play” (2020, 540) states” 542) interpret processes community practice. More specifically, observe impact object (Riede et al. 2018) well bricolage (Antonijevic Cahoy attitudes within group. This showed constant tension between, one hand, expectations itself should ‘produce’ new insights and, other, Sicart recommends, “carnivalesque” 23) resisting ‘utilitarian’ (e.g., exploring ideas would be ruled out conventional wisdom optional in-game scenarios events).Finally, conclude adopting designer’s player’s perspective may challenge habitualized practices corresponding roles inherent public-private partnerships academia. makes different preconceptions amongst visible, facilitates change, acknowledges interconnected intractable controversies continually re-designing base games.