Connecting RPGs and Conflict Transformation

Now that you know a bit more about roleplaying games and conflict transformation, it is time to start putting them together. You will get to do a “choose your own adventure”-style reading where you get to pick texts that you want to read. You will get to choose texts about both RPGs & Conflict Transformation and Larp & Marginalisation. While reading keep in mind what you have learnt so far about these subjects and consider how they interact with each other in these materials.

Start with picking among the texts below according to the instructions. Once you have finished reading, move on to the discussion. 

RPGs & Conflict Transformation

Read either:

Englund, Tindra. 2014. “Live Action Role Play (Larp) in a Context of Conflict: An Ethnographic Study of Larp in Ramallah.” Thesis, Malmö University. Link here.

or

Yamamoto, Mahisa. 2021. “A Case Study on Effective Scenario Writing and Session Management Employing Call of Cthulhu TRPG in Peace Education for Adults.” JARPS: Japanese Journal of Analog Role-Playing Game Studies 2: RPG at a Distance: Online and Remote Forms of Analog Role-Playing. Link here.

Larp & Marginalisation

Read one of the following:

Kemper, Jonaya. 2020. “Wyrding the Self.” In What Do We Do When We Play?, edited by Eleanor Saitta, Johanna Koljonen, Jukka Särkijärvi, Anne Serup Grove, Pauliina Männistö, and Mia Makkonen, 211-225. Helsinki, Finland: Solmukohta.
Available at Nordiclarp.org linked here.

Leonard, Diana J., Jovo Janjetovic, and Maximilian Usman. 2021. “Playing to Experience Marginalization: Benefits and Drawbacks of ‘Dark Tourism’ in Larp.” International Journal of Role-Playing 11: 25-47. Link here.