Spiel des Wissens. Ludische Annäherungen an digitale Arbeitswelten

Abstract

In the course of the digitalization of everyday life and the establishment of computer games as a popular cultural phenomenon, play as form and as practice has become a vital scientific topic, which begs for more in-depth cultural-anthropological reflection. This article approaches the ludic in a cultural-theoretical way via ethnographically collected data in the technologized working environments of high-energy physics at the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN). Grounded on participant observation of the entanglement of work and play, the article brings together established approaches as well as innovative developments in the field of play research. It demonstrates the capacity of ludic phenomena and theoretical concepts of play to advance fundamental modes of thinking in cultural anthropology. This work sees games and play as a crucial analytical perspective, which allows interpreting complex social processes anew.