Hierarchy's and the 2nd Playwork Principle

This being my first post I'm not sure where to start writing. I've all of play to ponder; where begin?

I guess I'll write about what's been on my mind lately, that being hierarchy's. Not so much what they are or why they exist but more so what they mean for the second playwork principle. Here it is for reference "Play is a process that is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated".
That's right it's that one, the one people regurgitate all the time, the one I'm sick of hearing to be honest.
But hierarchy's are my focus hear and throughout my blog I'm going to resist ranting as much as possible; unless it's really necessary. Google defined hierarchy's as: "A system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority." and that'll do nicely to get the ball rolling. I'm not arguing how natural they are, that's irrelevant for now, i'm thinking about the effect they have on play. I'm thinking about the concept of having more authority, status and/or power over one's friends could influence peoples actions. And in the adult world it is naïve to argue that it doesn't; I won't list examples but look anywhere and its easy to see adult striving to be higher and higher on the "greasy pole" (Benjamin Disraeli) to be better than other people, or more likely to be seen to be better than other people, even if it's just a ruse. Having a giant plasma screen T.V may mean you're wealthy thus have more status than those who don't have a giant plasma screen T.V. But chances are it just means you have a giant plasma screen T.V.; the product doesn't truly reflect status but can have the effect of falsely portraying it.
But adults and T.V. aren't the reason I'm writing, I'm writing thinking about children's actions, about child hierarchies and how the potential or possibility to be higher on that hierarchy can influence their play.

My favourite book at the moment is The Human Zoo by Desmond Morris, he is a zoologist who turned his expertise onto the human race, it is a follow up from The Naked Ape which I have yet to read. It chiefly concerns human sociobiology and how we are biologically still hunter gathers yet have build around us a world we are not designed for.
Anyway the point being that in it he talks about how in a tribe (which we still are biologically) there is on leader, and everyone else is below him, each with their own rank and status; such behaviour can be equated to baboons or wolves. Yet he says how in the super-tribe of our modern world there have opened and infinite amount of new opportunities to be the leader, to be at the top of your own pseudo-tribe. And where no opportunities exist, a new pseudo-tribe emerges in which a new leader can be established. Sorry I didn't describe that very well. Nowadays for instance you can be a manager of an adventure playground, the owner of a shop, one of the cool kids, the leading professional in your field, the fastest runner in your town etc. Each of these open up new opportunities for people to gain status and authority where otherwise (in our biological tribal state) these opportunities would not exist. And say for instance you weren't one of the cool kid and they wouldn't have anything to do with you, splinter cell groups can split off and a new gang can be formed. Where status is denied new opportunities can be created.
Sorry if it's still hard to follow.

I always struggle getting to the point, but what I'm trying to say is that all children nowadays have the ability and opportunity to try and gain status and authority over their peers. They can each be the leader of their own gang. Although of course not everyone can be a leader and this is what has been on my mind; that children (consciously or unconsciously) trying to climb higher on the status ladder are not acting in a way that is freely chosen nor personally directed. They are acting in a way that is highly influenced by the people that are around them at all times.

Following on from that; this includes playworkers. I'm not saying that children are trying to have higher status or authority over us, but I am saying that our presence influences play more than we can imagine and is often detrimental to the play process.
Nor am I saying that hierarchies are bad in the lives of children; personally I think, they are inevitable. And nor am I saying that the second playwork principle needs to change; it's just an observation, just a thought.

And that's my pondering for today