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The paper examines the theoretical foundations of a dynamic systems (DS) approach to play in the field of Early Childhood Education. It is argued that dynamic systems insight from developmental psychology (van Geert, 2007) and system theory insight from sociology (a Luhmanian perspective is also shortly analysed in regard to play) are able to contribute to an integrative concept of play to better understand preschool practice as well as to make possible effective changes in practice in connection to play. The paper summarises such DS approach features as self-organisation, attractors or phase transition in connection to play. The links to General System Theory and Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) are also discussed. DS methodology is associated with measuring and assessing dynamic changes in a defined system. DS method being the most challenging issue within this approach is represented by State Space Grids (SSG) (Hollenstein). The paper analyses possibilities and limitations of SSG as a method for studying play, capturing and measuring its features.The paper is based on secondary data devoted to the DS approach, therefore the main ethical considerations have been made concerning both fair presentation and critical considerations of the presented theoretical approach. Looking at how the concept of play can be defined from a system theory perspective and dynamic systems approach in particular is a starting point of a discussion. Implication of this theoretical approach for the field of Early Childhood Education will be discussed using an example of playing interactions of children-newcomers.

In the early 17th century, when the city of Falun was among the largest cities in Sweden due to its important copper mine, Gisle Jacobson, a local mining clerk, became the author of a small book which was published in Stockholm in 1613, entitled Ett litet Tidh- fördriff/ Der medh man kan fördröye Tidhen (A small pastime, wherewith one can delay time). A small pastime is a moral-didactic oracle book intended to be used while playing dice, and is based on the so-called “dobbel”, a game of dice the miners in Falun used to play on New Year’s Day to settle the mining order and to sha- re the ore among them. Reports suggest that this ritual was con- ducted annually at the Copper mine ever since the Middle Ages. Besides moral advice and various rules for how the miners should conduct their lives, Gisle Jacobson’s book also includes a short section where the senior miners’ special way of playing the game of “dobbel” is described. In my paper I will describe the miners’ way of using and playing the game of “dobble”, its function in relation to Gisle Jacobson’s book and give an insight into how this game was used to make important decision concerning the inner organization of the mine.

In the Uppsala University Museum Gustavianum stands a famous early 17th century cabinet, the so-called Augsburg Art Cabinet. Created by the Augsburg art dealer and diplomat Philipp Hainhofer, it is an elaborate piece of artistically designed furniture containing miniaturized curiosities, many tools and other objects. Taking 30 craftsmen from Augsburg under Hainhofer's supervision six years to construct (from 1610 to 1616), it is the only cabinet of its kind from the turn of the 17th century whose collection remains intact. Its approximately 1000 objects aim to symbolize the knowledge of all of humankind in one place. Art cabinets were regarded highly in the world of regal fashion of the time and the Augsburg Art Cabinet made for a luxurious gift, presented to King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden when he visited Augsburg in the spring of 1632.

Since then, this "Reise-Wunderkammer", with its many objects, such as stuffed animals from distant lands, rare pearls and precious stones, coral and ostrich eggs, has been in Sweden´s possession. Hainhofer designed such furniture for progressive nobles and the wealthy upper class who wanted to exhibit their sense of cosmopolitanism and curiosity, as well as wealth and education. Virtually everything that looked strange and mysterious, that exuded art and skill was presented. Chinese porcelain and globes, wax figures, skulls, mother-of-pearl plates, silver coconuts, music boxes - the more diverse a cabinet was, the better.

The intellectual, empirical and artistic study of these objects came to be the starting point of the modern scientific approach. The purpose of my paper is to examine the musical pack of cards that house the collection of the art cabinet. This multifunctional piece of furniture in ebony, which can save as a dressing table or pharmacy, contains musical instruments and a large number of games as well as an altar. I will concentrate on the function of the musical playing cards within the framework of the art cabinet concept, the aim being to find out what function they had. Was the actual intention to make music with the musical deck of cards? If so, this begs the question, who would have been able to do this and how?

Gruvskrivaren Gisle Jacobson utgav 1613 en orakeltärningsspelbok på vers som på ett unikt sätt illustrerar miljön vid Falu gruva. Då den uttryckligen vänder sig till kroppsarbetare kan den betraktas som Sveriges första arbetarlitteratur.

Syftet med studien är att fördjupa kunskapen om studenters svårigheter som är förknippade med teorianvändning i samband med skrivandet av examensarbete inom ett lärarprogram och vilket förklaringspotential en systemteoretisk ansats har för att förstå dessa problem. För detta ändamål analyseras ett material som har samlats in genom fokussamtal. I en planeringsfas har ett 70-tal syftesformuleringar från den studentgrupp, ur vilken medverkande till studien värvades, samlats in och utvärderats och en intervjuguide utarbetats. Sedan har nio studenter utvalts som deltagare i tre fokusgrupper. I en tidigare studie har materialet analyserats utifrån induktivt utvecklade kategorier med syftet att fördjupa kunskapen om den akademiska skrivprocessen i förhållande till formuleringsprocessen i en situativ skrivprocess. Där förstår vi skrivandet som ett operationellt slutet, självreferentiellt system, stabiliserat genom systemets interna logik som visar sig i studenternas beskrivna kommunikation och handlingar. Inom ramen av en examensarbetskurs hanterar skrivprocessen komplexitet och effekter av element som är sammankopplade i ett nätverk av relationer.