Cultures of play and learning in transition

This chapter introduces the central concepts and discusses the themes that arise throughout the book. The theoretical orientation underpinning this book is cultural-historical. There are two major sections in the book which are theorised as macro- and micro-genetic transitions, that act as both an organisational feature of the book and as an analytical framework for each of the studies that follow. An overview and a map of the chapters within the sections is given. Taken from each of the chapters, a synthesis of the empirical studies is given in the context of developing further the key concepts that feature in the book. The studies reported give insights into how exploration may take different forms, dependent on different kinds of transitions being reported. The content of the book is brought together to introduce new understandings about transitions and in this context the concept of exploration is advanced.