Two aspects of identity construction in children’s play

This paper examines how children’s engagement and play with their everyday cultural materials – such as toys, books, digital games, and drawing – influence their understanding of social reality. Drawing on sociocultural theories of identity and symbolic interaction, we explore how children express their understanding of common cultural constructs, including the notion of the generalized other and forms of empowerment, in their play. We engaged in dynamic interviews and naturalistic observation with seven children, ranging in age from 4 to 11 years, in their homes and with their own online and offline play materials. A series of three to four play-based interviews were conducted with each child, spaced over a period of five months. Interviews were audio-recorded, and data were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Two main themes emerged: Children’s play with social constructs, and children’s play and empowerment. We argue that recognizing the sociocultural dimensions of children’s play offers insight into how they internalize, reproduce, and sometimes challenge social norms, particularly in how they perceive the self and the other.