A shameful affair? A figurational study of the change room and showering culture connected to physical education in Danish upper secondary schools

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to explore the clothes changing and showering situation related to PE in upper secondary schools in Denmark. We strive to understand why many young Danish people choose not to shower in relation to PE. Traditionally, Denmark has had a quite liberal attitude towards the naked body, which has affected the clothes changing and showering culture related to sport and leisure. However, young people in the Danish schools today are very reluctant about changing clothes and showering in the same room as their fellow students, and many choose to skip the shower all together. This paper draws on a research study of young Danish upper secondary school students’ (1st year, age 15–17) experiences of the clothes changing and showering situation related to PE. The data material comprises a six-month observation study of gender integrated PE lessons in two different schools in the Copenhagen area (high and low socio-economic areas) and 8 focus group interviews (N = 64) with male and female students from these schools. Theoretically, the research draws on figurational sociology as introduced by Norbert Elias We argue that the critical attitude towards the youth generation’s body cultural practices is perhaps misplaced. This is a development in accordance with the civilizing processes of the Western world. An approach to this issue should perhaps be a change in the structure around PE in schools, finding solutions that meet contemporary youth culture.

KEYWORDS:

• Change room culture
• physical education
• youth
• shame
• nakedness
• figurational sociology

ORCID

Stine Frydendal http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7709-9198

Lone Friis Thing http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4860-1123

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Ministry of Culture [grant number FPK.2016-0050].