Gymnastik- och idrottshögskolan, GIH

The history of physical education has seen the embracing of practices that have promised idealized scenarios and visions of the future. These practices are in many respects ideological and this paper explores the ideological workings in physical education with a particular focus on physical literacy. The purpose is to articulate and discuss a set of discursive logics in research and policy on physical literacy in terms of what is claimed in its name. We draw on the logics of critical explanation framework and use recent research, policy documents and organisational web pages on physical literacy to identify the social and political logics that underpin the practice. Specifically employing the concepts beatific and horrific narratives, we explore the fantasmatic logics of physical literacy to reveal the shared ideological workings of this collection. Fantasmatic logics is applied to grasp the visions of what will come to pass if physical literacy is, or is not, implemented in sports and physical education. Together, the logics reveal an increasing seduction of physical literacy and its operation as an all-inclusive grand narrative through the hopes and fears that policymakers, researchers and other stakeholders attach to the practice of physical literacy. In contrast to previous ideologies in physical education where the horrific narratives were strong, it is an over-investment in beatific narratives that is at the core of physical literacy. It seems to be enacted in a relation between ideals and measurement, and in policy the narratives with grand promises of physically literate citizens also seem more opportunistic, not seldom ignoring conflict without recognition that the claims made are incommensurable. This erasure of conflict can become problematic if we don’t continue the debate around what physical literacy reasonably can be held accountable for. Otherwise the wellintended beatific narratives risks over-investment and as a consequence ideological closure.

Historically, physical education (PE) has embraced practices that promise an idealized scenario in terms of e.g moral and aesthetic development, and the building of national identity as in Ling gymnastics, or a healthy and fit population seeking to achieve national health objectives through exercise oriented programs (Kirk 2010, Tinning 2011). As Kirk and Tinning highlight, these practices are ideological and this presentation seeks to further explore the ideological workings of PE  with a particular focus on a more recent ‘seductive’ practice  – physical literacy.

In the presentation we draw on Glynos’s (2008) and Mårdh’s (2019) work on logics and ideology to explore the case of physical literacy, and to consider  what an approach that interrogates social,political and fantasmatic logics might reveal about PE practice. 

We begin with a brief overview of dominant PE practices, identifying the manner in which the logics of each practice has resulted in roads to closure and a movement towards ideology. Following this, we focus on physical literacy to investigate how this emerging practice might represent yet another road to closure. Here we provide illustrations from across the PE and sport community to identify the social and political logics that underpin this practice.

Specifically employing Glynos’ (2008) notion of beatific and horrific narratives , we then explore the sport, public health, and educative fantasmatic logics of physical literacy to reveal the shared ideological workings of this collection. Together, the logics show the increasing seduction of physical literacy and its operation as an all-inclusive grand narrative. In conclusion we discuss what is promised in the name of physical literacy and how its ever-expanding purview involves an over-investment in its beatific narratives regarding the physically literate citizen which, potentially, closes down opportunities to engage critically with this recent development in PE policy and practice.