Human and Nature in Physical Education and Health: A Diffractive Analysis of Policy Documents
The research field of physical education and health (PEH) holds a great potential for exploring environmental issues, but the interest has been scarce. In this paper, we aim to trouble the separation of humans and nature, which has long been reproduced in PEH research and practice. To frame the prob...
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Cambridge University Press
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Australian Journal of Environmental Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062624000636/type/journal_article |
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| author | Karin Isaksson Erik Backman |
| author_facet | Karin Isaksson Erik Backman |
| author_sort | Karin Isaksson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The research field of physical education and health (PEH) holds a great potential for exploring environmental issues, but the interest has been scarce. In this paper, we aim to trouble the separation of humans and nature, which has long been reproduced in PEH research and practice. To frame the problem, we turn to environmental education (EE) research, where scholars have argued that the human/nature divide serves as a foundation for environmental degradation. Drawing on Karen Barad’s posthumanist framework of agential realism, we explore the emerging conceptualisations of humans and nature when Swedish PEH policy documents are diffractively read through previous research, the concept of agential cuts and our own historicities. The analysis is presented through three diffraction patterns emerging around movement, health and indoors/outdoors, phenomena which are central not only to PEH but also to EE. We conclude that thinking with diffraction can open spaces within PEH educational policy for reimagining existing binaries between humans and nature. In this way, PEH practice might contribute to troubling the foundations for environmental injustices and issues of unsustainability. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3edd7766368045b1ad1acbd77dc96a35 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0814-0626 2049-775X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian Journal of Environmental Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-3edd7766368045b1ad1acbd77dc96a352025-08-20T03:40:44ZengCambridge University PressAustralian Journal of Environmental Education0814-06262049-775X2024-10-014090091510.1017/aee.2024.63Human and Nature in Physical Education and Health: A Diffractive Analysis of Policy DocumentsKarin Isaksson0https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8695-3764Erik Backman1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4660-717XSchool of Teacher Education, Dalarna University, Falun, SwedenSchool of Health and Welfare and Oslo Metropolitan University, Faculty of Education and International Studies, Dalarna University, Falun, SwedenThe research field of physical education and health (PEH) holds a great potential for exploring environmental issues, but the interest has been scarce. In this paper, we aim to trouble the separation of humans and nature, which has long been reproduced in PEH research and practice. To frame the problem, we turn to environmental education (EE) research, where scholars have argued that the human/nature divide serves as a foundation for environmental degradation. Drawing on Karen Barad’s posthumanist framework of agential realism, we explore the emerging conceptualisations of humans and nature when Swedish PEH policy documents are diffractively read through previous research, the concept of agential cuts and our own historicities. The analysis is presented through three diffraction patterns emerging around movement, health and indoors/outdoors, phenomena which are central not only to PEH but also to EE. We conclude that thinking with diffraction can open spaces within PEH educational policy for reimagining existing binaries between humans and nature. In this way, PEH practice might contribute to troubling the foundations for environmental injustices and issues of unsustainability.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062624000636/type/journal_articleDiffractive analysisenvironmental educationhuman/nature dividephysical education and healthpolicy documents |
| spellingShingle | Karin Isaksson Erik Backman Human and Nature in Physical Education and Health: A Diffractive Analysis of Policy Documents Australian Journal of Environmental Education Diffractive analysis environmental education human/nature divide physical education and health policy documents |
| title | Human and Nature in Physical Education and Health: A Diffractive Analysis of Policy Documents |
| title_full | Human and Nature in Physical Education and Health: A Diffractive Analysis of Policy Documents |
| title_fullStr | Human and Nature in Physical Education and Health: A Diffractive Analysis of Policy Documents |
| title_full_unstemmed | Human and Nature in Physical Education and Health: A Diffractive Analysis of Policy Documents |
| title_short | Human and Nature in Physical Education and Health: A Diffractive Analysis of Policy Documents |
| title_sort | human and nature in physical education and health a diffractive analysis of policy documents |
| topic | Diffractive analysis environmental education human/nature divide physical education and health policy documents |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0814062624000636/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT karinisaksson humanandnatureinphysicaleducationandhealthadiffractiveanalysisofpolicydocuments AT erikbackman humanandnatureinphysicaleducationandhealthadiffractiveanalysisofpolicydocuments |