Embodied Identities: Using Kinesiology Programming Methods to Diminish the Hegemony of the Normal

Abstract

The concept of embodiment and the reintroduction of the body into the disability movement debate is the focus of this investigation. This paper will include arguments from scholars from philosophy, disability studies, adapted physical education, counseling, nursing, and sociology who recognize that a dualistic approach to dealing with embodied realities is not effective. The philosophies that underlie embodiment, with specific emphasis on Merleau-Ponty and Polanyi, explain how our identities are embedded in our bodies; further, the investigation defines multiple ways in which the “Lebenswelt” of the “dominate normal” does not account for temporal, spatial, and proprioceptive differences for individuals with disabilities. The authors will extend four approaches of inclusion by kinesiology scholars to address societal and professional inclusion issues caused by the dualistic nature of the medical and social models and offer suggestions on how the embodied identities of all who inhabit the lifeworld can contribute, participate, and live life to the fullest.

Keywords:

• Phenomenology
• embodiment
• kinesiology
• adapted physical education
• Polanyi