Exploring the Origins and Consequences of Health and Physical Education Undergraduates' Body Dispositions

Abstract

There is considerable literature that supports the proposition that the body is central concern for Health and Physical Education (HPE) professionals. This particular group of individuals has certain dispositions with regard to the body that can be readily conveyed to their students in intentional and unintentional ways through pedagogical encounters. This paper will discuss how a group of undergraduate HPE students think about and consider the body. Taking a poststructuralist perspective and drawing mainly on the work of Foucault, in-depth interviews were used as method to explore how these HPE undergraduates came to shape their particular dispositions across time. Three main themes emerged: the 'normal' body, fat bodies and the HPE teacher's body. Findings from this study will be helpful in understanding HPE undergraduates' body dispositions and how they shape up their idea of teaching.