Inclusion within Swedish Physical Education?: Problematizing the ‘text’ surrounding physical education and the experiences of immigrant youth
2015 (English)In: 20th annual Congress of the European college of sport science 24th - 27th June 2015, Malmö – Sweden: Book of abstracts, European College of Sport Science , 2015, article id 269Conference paper, Oral presentation with published abstract (Other academic)
Abstract [en]
Interestingly, Swedish government based data suggests that young people from an ‘immigrant’ background are less likely to be represented
among the top ‘scoring’ students within physical education, and more likely to be over-represented among the lower ‘scoring’
students. Whilst such data can be problematic and reductive in nature, it also raises important questions surrounding the implementation
of democratic practices within physical education in Sweden, which self identifies as a country that has a long and established history of
inclusiveness and equality across all sectors of society. Aim: The aim of this presentation is to look beyond government-based statistics
and to problematize the ‘text’, based on policy documents and academic literature within physical education and the experiences of
immigrant youth surrounding physical education practice, with a focus on the Swedish context. Methodology: Postcolonialism provides a
useful framework to ‘borrow’ from, through which to consider how Eurocentric ways of knowing have shaped the historical developments,
curriculum documents and current (dominant) pedagogical practices within physical education. This will allow us to problematize
the physical education experiences of immigrant youth as presented through government statistics. Discussion and Conclusion: While
research has shown that Swedish curriculum has a strong focus on movement and physical activity participation, and that it is less competitive
and performance based when compared to other countries, there still remains a discrepancy between policy and practice. Swedish
based research continues to highlight a tendency for ‘masculine’ (and we would add ‘western’) ball based team sports to dominate
physical education lessons. Furthermore, while the physical education experiences of young immigrants is considered within contemporary
research, a dearth of literature remains that actually explores the meaning and place of physical activity and physical education in
the lives of young immigrants, from the young people themselves. In a country that strives for equality across society, gender perspectives
continue to dominate, and while important, it must be acknowledged that not all ‘males’ and ‘females’ experience their gender in the
same way. It is through exploring and questioning dominant practices within physical education that allow for a more complex understanding
of the experiences of young immigrants in physical education. This line of questioning opens up spaces for new possibilities
and avenues through which to move towards a more sustainable democratic physical education for the future.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
European College of Sport Science , 2015. article id 269
Keywords [en]
Inclusion, Physical education and health, Immigrats
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-16577Local ID: 19698OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mau-16577DiVA, id: diva2:1420091
Conference
Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), Sustainable Sport, Malmö, Sweden (2015)
2020-03-302020-03-302022-12-07Bibliographically approved