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Articles

Unspoken: exploring the constitution of masculinities in Swedish physical education classes through body movements

ORCID Icon &
Pages 491-505 | Received 27 Dec 2018, Accepted 24 May 2019, Published online: 10 Jun 2019
 

ABSTRACT

Background: Masculinities are fluid and socially constructed. Physical education is one means by which masculinities are constituted. Some masculinities may be limited through content, activities, and pedagogy of physical education that shape the way students come to know gender. The purpose of this study was to explore how movements contribute to the discursive construction of masculinities in secondary school physical education; specifically, how body movements constitute masculinities.

Methodology: This study uses a poststructural theoretical framework to explore how masculinities are constituted through body movements. The methodology is also informed by knowledge production from bodily practices known as embodied knowledge. Video recordings of physical education classes from eight Swedish secondary schools were observed. The body movements of students were noted and analyzed through discourse analysis.

Results: Masculinities were constituted in the moments between formal teaching and activities within the classrooms. Five themes were constructed from the visual observations of students’ movements from all lessons including: 1) Movements of energy, 2) Movements of playfulness and bonding, 3) Swaggering movements, 4) Dividing movements, and 5) Regulating movements. These different movements are the ways boys come to know masculinities.

Conclusion: This study highlights how embodied knowledge and movements of boys constitute masculinities. It is recommended that pedagogical practices that examine, challenge, and disrupt limiting gender performativity are developed in physical education teaching.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The empirical study was funded by the Swedish Research Council. The analysis that serves the basis for this article was partially supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Michael Smith Foreign Study Award (#395392).

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