{"id":85518,"date":"2026-10-05T09:43:52","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T07:43:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.he-arc.ch\/?post_type=he-arc_event&p=85518"},"modified":"2026-10-05T11:25:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T09:25:14","slug":"erving-goffman-and-play","status":"publish","type":"he-arc_event","link":"https:\/\/www.he-arc.ch\/en\/events\/erving-goffman-and-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Erving Goffman and play"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cTo be on the wire is life; the rest is waiting.\u201d<\/strong> Placed at the opening of his chapter \u201cWhere the Action Is\u201d (1967), this epigraph encapsulates Erving Goffman\u2019s interest in play, risk and uncertainty. From 12 to 14 March 2027, an international conference held in La Chaux-de-Fonds, at the heart of Ludesco<\/a>, a festival of games and playful experiences, will examine what his work can still help us understand about contemporary games and gaming encounters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Context<\/strong>
Known for his analyses of the presentation of self, social interactions, face-work and the frames of experience, Erving Goffman also gave considerable attention to play and gaming encounters. His work notably allows us to examine how an activity is recognized as play, the forms of involvement it generates, the roles and positions adopted by participants, and the adjustments required to maintain the situation. The conference will put these tools to the test across games in all their forms, as well as other contemporary playful experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Objectives<\/strong>
The conference will bring together researchers and game professionals around four thematic axes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n