Comment by IAmBroom
14 hours ago
Historical reenactor here.
"Playing" is only dismissive if you view the incredible, fast learning children achieve (compared to adults) as "mere child's play".
By "playing" at reenactment, we test out theories on how things worked, how people did things, and why they did them.
My favorite example is a Dutch hat. Every instance two friends found in artwork had a spoon slipped into two cuts in the raised brim. They thought that looked stupid, and made one without the spoon (they merely pinned the brim up). The hat wouldn't stay in place, so they decided it needed a weight to stabilize the raised side of the brim... like a spoon.
Where do you see me dismissing play?
What does "play Viking" mean to you, in the context of what this researcher is doing?
Don't overlook that snowwrestler coupled playing Viking to monetizing one's PhD.
Do you do historical reenactment in order to monetize your play?
If I learn to operate a 1907 Avery steam tractor, would you say I am playing farmer?
Farming is a job, which people do to eat. I've known farmers, and yes, if you bought a tractor and drove it around SF I would accuse you of "playing farmer" as well.
You don't have to take it personally - roleplay can be an effective tool. If you're training to operate a tractor on a farm, then you are consciously "playing farmer" with the intent of driving positive results.
We are agreed that the first is meant more negative, and the second more positive, yes?
Is this researcher more like the first case or the second case?
The Norse used their ships for trade and pirating, and to travel places where alternative transit was far too difficult. Like your farming example, trade and pirating helped put food on the table.
This researcher did none of those. His income came from other sources.
What does it mean to "play Viking", and how is it connected to monetizing one's PhD, which is the other half of what I complained about?
(In any distinctive sense. Anyone with a career in their PhD field has by definition monetized their PhD, and in some careers (like my high school teachers), a PhD in any field gives you a salary raise. But none of the examples are referred to "playing X" in order to monetize their education.)
2 replies →