Toy Theory

A novel interpretation of the history and theory of technology from the perspective of toys, play, and play objects.

Toy Theory addresses the relationships between toys and technology in two distinct but overlapping ways: first, as underexamined cultural artifacts and behaviors with significant technical attributes and, second, as playful and toylike dimensions of technology at large. Seth Giddings sets out a “toy theory” of technology that emphasizes the speculative, experimental, and noninstrumental in technological paradigms and argues that children’s playthings, rather than being the most ephemeral and inconsequential of technical devices, instead offer analytical and anthropological resources for understanding the materiality and imaginaries of technology over time.

After defining toy theory in general and conceptual terms, Giddings examines different types of toys to explore shifting relationships between the microcosmic symbolic or mimetic content, material and technical constitution, and modes of play of toys and toy-related artifacts, on the one hand, and prevailing, macrocosmic, technological paradigms and imaginaries, on the other. Taking a broad historical and genealogical view, Giddings traces contemporary postdigital toy and play culture to precedents from the neolithic through to the Enlightenment to consumer culture from the early nineteenth century to the present day.Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1   Toy-Being
2   Dolls
3   Toy Soldiers
4   Construction Toys
5   Robots
6   Cinema Toys
7   Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index“The richness of this book’s media archaeological methods together with a solid understanding of current design cultures makes the reader think: Why did this book not exist already?”
—Jussi Parikka, Professor, Aarhus University

“Toy Theory advances a fresh theoretical framework for toy analysis that promises to energize subsequent research on playthings and reveals how play has functioned as a vital driver of technological innovation.”
—Meredith A. Bak, Associate Professor of Childhood Studies, Rutgers University–
Camden; author of Playful Visions

“Through centering toys in this fascinating and ambitious work, Giddings breathes fresh life into our understanding of play and, ultimately, technology.”
—T. L. Taylor, Professor of Comparative Media Studies, MIT

“Toy Theory offers an original perspective and is a fascinating read, consistently rooted in the dynamics of play, but also informing a range of media studies through the characteristic ‘mode of relationality’ of toys.”
—Neural
Seth Giddings teaches postdigital culture and creative technologies at Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton. He is the author of Gameworlds: Virtual Media and Children’s Everyday Play, coeditor of The New Media & Technocultures Reader, and a coauthor of New Media: A Critical Introduction.