Pavlenko O. Game conception of culture: Ukrainian context.

The dissertation investigates game as a cultural phenomenon and is based on the works of Western, Russian and Ukrainian researchers. Adopting Huizinga's approach, the work considers the questions of the typology of games, essential characteristics and definitions of game in the context of play problematic. The important concern of the present dissertation is the problem of correlation between play and ritual in the sacral performance. The concept of "Homo ludens" is approached in terms of the modern sociocultural interpretation. The special focus is on the analysis of agonal, aesthetic, existential, quasi-gaming contexts in the modern humanitarian discourse. The principles of the play conception are applied to the enquiry into the processes of the formation of Ukrainian culture. The dissertation considers the agonal element of Ukrainian culture, analyses the roots of individual manifestations of agon, and explores the play aspect of the aesthetic component of Ukrainian culture, namely the related works of Ukrainian researchers, literary works, and histrionic performance. Play is claimed to be an important part of the modern Ukrainian socio-humanitarian discourse.