"Open to Growth": Exploring Ethnic-Minority Young People's Construction of Fitness Through Public Pedagogy

• In Event: Social Justice and Cultural Diversity in Health and Physical Education

Abstract

There is a substantial body of literature that suggests the behavioristic pedagogy of large-scale childhood obesity interventions does not address the complexities of ethnic minority young people’s worlds when it comes to fitness in their everyday lives. As physical education increasingly becomes a site of control for young people’s bodies, alternative learning spaces can be important. Therefore, the purpose of this visual participatory study was to move beyond the formalized school setting and explore young people’s construction of fitness through sites of public pedagogy, in an after-school context. This use of visual methodologies not only gave participants the opportunity to explore and engage with fitness in creative ways, but also provided a safe pedagogical space outside of school.

Authors

• Carrie Safron, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Laura Azzarito, Columbia University