Topologies of invention: An anthropological approach to the rhetoric of games

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dc.contributor.advisorTyler, Stephen A.en_US
dc.creatorPound, Christopher Brianen_US
dc.date.accessioned2009-06-04T08:23:21Zen_US
dc.date.available2009-06-04T08:23:21Zen_US
dc.date.issued2002en_US
dc.description.abstractA study of rhetorical practice in the design and interpretation of games, this dissertation draws on culture theory and ethnographic interviews to comprehend invention as a social act. Although only role-playing games written in English are considered, the approach taken to understand the structures of attention emergent in gaming is generalizable as a means of investigating the informal social and rhetorical aspects of other kinds of games. The textual and visual rhetorics of numerous games are examined as self-situating lessons for acquiring and focusing interest. The intrinsic gap between reading and following a rule is explored as a phenomenon mediated by rhetoric. Experienced players' reflections on styles and motives are translated into ratios in a grammar of rhetorical invention. Finally, the game designers are interviewed for their professional life histories relative to the development of particular games, and the matters they emphasize are read as configurations of cultural knowledge animated by personal rhetorical resources and heuristics.en_US
dc.format.extent202 p.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.callnoTHESIS ANTH. 2002 POUNDen_US
dc.identifier.citationPound, Christopher Brian. "Topologies of invention: An anthropological approach to the rhetoric of games." (2002) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/18122">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/18122</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/18122en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectCultural anthropologyen_US
dc.subjectLanguageen_US
dc.subjectRhetoricen_US
dc.subjectCompositionen_US
dc.titleTopologies of invention: An anthropological approach to the rhetoric of gamesen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentAnthropologyen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineSocial Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen_US
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