Between Children and Parents: Videogame Culture Histories

Abstract

Video games have been consolidated as an object of study for several areas of knowledge, creating a heterogeneous research field with negative and positive controversy surrounding the experiences of playing. With its widespread popularity in Brazil starting with the 70's, there is no a generation of adults that grew up playing such digital games. This study aims at approaching the subject of what happens when this generation of players start a family and carry on playing their video-games, now with their children. The methodological strategy chosen is that of interviews with parents that play with their children. The research has had the participation of eight fathers and two mothers. The methodological strategy chosen, as well as the analysis of interview records, followed the systemic approach of family studies and studies of enactive cognition. Such theories base our understanding of the research results. In what regards their decisions as to their children's access to games, empiric knowledge about the experience of playing video game seemed to be more regarded then the declarative-conceptual knowledge that the participants usually get from their cultural backgrounds. It has been observed that practises involving video games can involve interesting ways of family socialization in other social contexts.

Keywords

• família
• videogame
• aprendizagem
• comunicação.