A contrasting analysis of the neo-liberal and socio-critical structural strategies in health and physical education: reflections on the emancipatory agenda within and beyond the limits of HPE

Abstract

Taking as a reference the previous texts in this special issue of Sport, Education and Society, this paper contrasts a variety of structural strategies utilized by both the neoliberal and socio-critical camps in health and physical education (HPE) in order to forward their respective agendas. Moreover, it also theorizes about some possible reasons for the socio-cultural agenda’s stalemate. An analysis of the articles in the special issue reveals a striking imbalance between the neoliberal and socio-critical scaffoldings with a strategies’ ratio of more than seven to one in favor of the former; a key factor, it is argued, in sustaining the efficient and all-encompassing neoliberal operation. Lastly, the article provides some reflections regarding the sociocultural agenda within and beyond the limits of HPE and proposes a viable and necessary alternative.

Keywords:

• Physical Education
• Socio-critical
• Neoliberal
• Consciousness
• Health
• Emancipatory

Acknowledgement

I thank Jan Wright, Deana Leahy, and Dawn Penney for granting me the opportunity to write this commentary piece.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. www.movistarplus.es/ficha/politica-manual-de-instrucciones?tipo=E&id=1307859