“Children Have Their Own World of Being”: An Ethnography of Children’s Activities on the Day of Saraswati Puja
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Abstract
This article analyzes the ways in which Indian American Bengali children separate their activities from the religious festival while defining the festival as an adult observation, and use the given space and religious-cultural setting to create their own world of fun and freedom. In addition, I analyze the various kinds of games and activities chosen by different age groups. These groups of Bengali children not only indulge in traditional games like singing games or chasing or tagging games, but also use technology to play games, for example different kinds of video games including strategy games. These children also participate in what I call “adventure tripping,” an act which involves no age or gender division unlike other games and activities. These trips originate with a mystery and a prolonged discussion about it, thereby encouraging every child to know the unknown, see the unseen, and enjoy the thrill of participation through a process that shares a structure and function very similar to legend tripping. I examine how all these games and activities reflect the changing meaning of religious festivals for second generation Indian American Bengali children and also their social and psychological developments through these games.
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