Paper Information
| Title | Pigs in the Poke: The Dynamics of Traditional Village Life, Games of Chance and Strategy |
| Presenter(s) | Brian Hayden |
| Session | From the Keyboard to the Game Board - Part 1 |
| Time | Saturday, October 11, 10:15a-11:15a |
| Location | Green Room |
| Format | Paper Presentation |
| Description | The social, economic, and political realities of traditional (tribal) village life are completely foreign to people raised in Industrial societies. Yet understanding such lifestyles is critical to understanding third world cultures today, as well as to comprehending the basic themes of anthropology (cultures of the present) and archaeology (cultures of the past). On the basis of my research in tribal villages in Southeast Asia over the last 15 years, I have put together a board game that captures the essential dynamics of traditional village life, with a Southeast Asia flavor. While Monopoly teaches the principles of capitalist investment, competition, and losses, Pigs in the Poke uses the same format to teach about subsistence economics and village social life with its many liabilities and risks. This game has been played by numerous classes of students with great enjoyment and a good deal of laughter at the unexpected situations and considerations that they are confronted with. The various elements of the game combine synergistically to provide deep new insights into traditional cultures and a much deeper understanding of what it is like to live in such cultures. Players become empathetic members of communities that must contend with circumstances not usually encountered in Industrial societies. |
| More | View extended abstract |