ABSTRACT
Although it is undoubtedly true that some children have highly individual goals at playtime, the author first examines those goals, which were by and large shared by the whole community. Like adults, children need to maintain self-esteem (a positive view of themselves), and this partly depends upon the way others come to see them – in other words their reputation. An important distinction in playground life is between calling your peers by their first names or their surnames. One physical attribute that has particular significance in our society is skin colour, and the author occasionally heard children being called 'black face', as well as other racist names. Much of what we do or say is primarily intended to show others what sort of person we are; this is how we gain a reputation. Some children are admired, not for their own actions, but because of the reputation of their fathers.
