Burning the Book: A Biographical Study of a Pedagogically Inspired Identity Crisis in Physical Education

This paper focuses upon a fateful moment in the life of a Spanish student of physical education called Guillem (a pseudonym) in which the reading of a particular text as part of his course requirements instigated a powerful identity crisis. Biographical data are provided to contextualize the crisis and the impact it had on the life of this student. Next, the strategies used by Guillem to resolve his identity crisis are considered and the problems of self-change are highlighted. Finally, attention is given to the implications of this case for those who seek to engage in critical forms of pedagogy.

Sport and physical activity in a high security Spanish prison: an ethnographic study of multiple meanings

Drawing on data generated by a two-year ethnographic study in a high security Spanish prison, this article explores the multiple meanings given to the social practices of sport and physical activity. We provide details of the following key themes that emerged from the analysis: (a) escaping time; (b) perceived therapeutic benefits; (c) social control; (d) gendered dimensions; and (e) performing masculinity. The findings suggest that a diverse and contradictory set of meanings are associated with sport and physical activity within this particular prison culture, and that the performance of specific kinds of masculinity is both a process and product that shapes the construction of experience …

Deporte entre rejas. ¿Algo más que control social?

Sport practices belong to the prison’s landscape. Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge about the role they play in prisons ordinary life. Therefore, we developed an ethnographic study, mainly located in the sports hall of a Spanish prison, to understand exercise and sport meanings among inmates, workers, educators and monitors. Data indicate that social rehabilitation through sport is an illusion, although it is the official goal of imprisonment. Even so, participants assign different benefits to exercise and sport, especially inmates. Educative potential of self-control through sport and, mainly, distraction and compensation strategy to cope with boredom, time and confinement’s physi…

Me, osteogenesis imperfecta, and my classmates in physical education lessons: a case study of embodied pedagogy in action

Pupils with disabilities have been found to experience a narrower physical education curriculum and participate less frequently than pupils without disabilities. A lack of knowledge, skills, relevant experiences and confidence amongst physical education (PE) teachers has been said to contribute to these differential educational experiences. This article adds to the paucity of research that analyses the PE experiences of pupils with disabilities while, at the same time, evaluating embodied pedagogy as a tool for better preparing PE teachers for their role as inclusive educators. Specifically, the article aims to: (1) explore the PE experiences of a university student named Violeta who lives …

Talking bodies

A INVESTIGAÇÃO NARRATIVA EM EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA E ESPORTE: QUE É E QUAL A SUA UTILIDADE

Narrative inquiry is a burgeoning form of research in social sciences that has received little attention in physical education and sport sciences. In this article, we seek to balance this situation by offering an understanding of what narrative inquiry can be and can offer to our field. In order to gain some theoretical purchase on a difficult field, we first define narrative. Next, a distillation of guiding assumptions and characteristics are offered. Finally, some reasons as to why narratives may be of benefit for the field of physical education and sport. In conclusion, we consider narrative inquiry as a useful, although problematic, way of theorizing and doing research in the domains of…

Exploring Trans People's Narratives of Transition: Negotiation of Gendered Bodies in Physical Activity and Sport

This paper explores how trans people who make transitions negotiate their gendered bodies in different moments of this process, and how their narrative storylines are emplotted in physical activity and (non)organized sports (PAS) participation. A qualitative semi-structured interview-based study was developed to analyze the stories of eight trans people (three trans women, two trans men, and three nonbinary persons) who participated in PAS before and during their gender disclosure. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify the patterns in the transition process and the structural analysis of the stories from the interviews. Three transition moments (the closet, opening up, and reassurin…

Social comparison processes, narrative mapping and their shaping of the cancer experience: a case study of an elite athlete.

Drawing on data generated by life history interviews and fieldwork observations we illuminate the ways in which a young elite athlete named David (a pseudonym) gave meaning to his experiences of cancer that eventually led to his death. Central to this process were the ways in which David utilized both social comparisons and a narrative map provided by the published autobiography of Lance Armstrong (2000). Our analysis reveals the selective manner in which social comparison processes operated around the following key dimensions: mental attitude to treatment; the sporting body; the ageing body; and physical appearance. The manner in which different comparison targets were chosen, the ways in…

¿Qué permanece oculto del currículum oculto? : las identidades de género y de sexualidad en la Educación Física

El currículum oculto es un medio muy poderoso para aprender normas, valores y relaciones sociales que subyacen y se transmiten a través de las rutinas diarias en las escuelas y en los centros de formación del profesorado. Los estudiantes no sólo aprenden conductas y conocimientos, sino todo un conjunto de actitudes y de prácticas sociales que les sirven para la construcción de sus identidades. Los estudios sobre la educación física, fundamentalmente los del contexto cultural anglosajón, se han ocupado en resaltar la dimensión oculta o encubierta del currículum en relación con la construcción de diversas identidades, entre ellas las de género y las de sexualidad. Sin embargo, en el contexto …