"Play" lends itself to individual consciousness-raising through the impulse to engage with others in potentially exciting, enjoyable experiences that are then interpreted for ongoing possibilities of lifestyle changes both individually and culturally. The experience of play allows individuals to gain an understanding of the relationship between the freedom and creativity in interaction with others to test new experiences and ways of being and acting in the social and economic worlds. The relationship between play and rebellion centers on the ideal of living in and valuing the present. The altering of one's self or culture away from the status quo requires looking at the "ordinary" in new ways, such that what we thought was inevitable or unchanging loses its power to confine us to a fixed way of thinking, behaving, and living. "Playing" creatively offers alternatives to consumerism and conformity by promoting culture building. This involves the creative use of mind, body, and talents to forge a way of looking at and being in the world that is better suited to the distinctiveness of being an individual human being in interaction with other diverse creative players. This approach implies that dissent involves offering an alternative to the status quo that is more appealing and fulfilling than the oppressive systems and policies dominating mainstream culture. 41 references