Erin Cameron

Toward a Fat Pedagogy: A Study of Pedagogical Approaches Aimed at Challenging Obesity Discourse in Post-Secondary Education

Over the last 15 years, a growing body of literature has found that dominant obesity discourse has led to significant increases in weight bias within social institutions, such as universities. Some critical fat scholars have articulated the need for more research on effective pedagogical strategies to address weight-based oppression in the post-secondary classroom. Interviews with 26 academics who challenge “obesity” discourse in university classrooms, identify four main themes, namely: framing, layering, connecting, and teaching. Building on insights from critical and feminist pedagogy, this paper offers insights into an emerging fat pedagogy.

Moving Beyond the Injustices of the Schooled Healthy Body

A healthy body is determined not by medical treatments and lifestyle choices alone, but by a complex interaction of social influences (Raphael, 2009). Despite this, many North American schools continue to espouse the notion that individual choice and behavior alone are the solutions to educating youth for long-term health. In this chapter, we argue that current “healthy body” discourses in schools, in particular in health and physical education culture, privilege certain body types and marginalize others. Through a critical lens, we advocate for a new social movement that deconstructs the injustices of biopedagogies in schools, challenges the regulation of bodies in and through educational practice, and disrupts the idea of the schooled healthy body. Resisting hegemonic biopedagogies, we advocate a vision of social justice in schools that fosters a physical education culture of safety for, and democratic inclusion of, all bodies.

A Journey of Critical Scholarship in Physical Education Teacher Education

Through a yearlong critical autoethnographic self-study, I deconstruct my experiences as a professional athlete, doctoral student in the field of physical education, and beginning teacher educator. By sharing reflective journal entries and critical dialogues with other critical scholars in physical education, I endeavor to illustrate how understanding our ‘storied’ selves can awaken us to acknowledge and problematize our beliefs and practices for the improvement of teaching and learning. As such, in this chapter I have three aims: (a) to explain the nature and process of critical autoethnographic self-study methodology, (b) to highlight key moments when thinking about my ‘critical’ pedagogy and practice changed, and (c) to identify some of the ways in which my professional knowledge of teaching practice has benefited from this form of inquiry. It is my hope that other teachers, students, and beginning teacher educators in the field of physical education are stimulated to reflect upon and share how their own personal and professional experiences have informed (and will inform) their teaching practice.

Teaching Resources for Post-Secondary Educators Who Challenge Dominant “Obesity” Discourse

This article provides the teaching strategies and materials of 26 instructors from five countries who challenge dominant “obesity” discourse in university classrooms. The diverse topics, resources, assignments, and activities are offered here as resources for those wishing to incorporate critical fat scholarship into their own teaching.1