Kelly Knez

Taking exercise: cultural diversity and physically active lifestyles

‘Taking exercise’, whether it be recreational walking, participating in club sport, or joining in a physical education (PE) lesson, is a culturally loaded behaviour. We all see, do and talk about physical activity differently, yet, there has been relatively little research or theorising around difference in race, ethnicity, cultural diversity and physical activity from an educational perspective. This paper presents snapshots of data from three research projects with Indigenous and Muslim young people to illuminate how they and their families think about PE, physical activity and health. We will draw on ‘post’ discussions around biopolitics, colonisation, governmentality and citizenship to argue that PE needs to better account for ‘others’ and ‘othering’ in its research, planning and practices.

Challenging stereotypes: Muslim girls talk about physical activity, physical education and sport

Often labelled as ‘problematic’ within health and physical education (HPE) and sporting literature, young Muslim womens participation is frequently understood through both cultural and religious limitations seen to be placed upon them. Although these factors are negotiated by many young Muslim women, and contribute to the way in which some will understand and participate in physical activity, it would be misleading of those working within the fields of HPE and sport to assume that these are definitive, and apply to all. Through exploring the diverse ways in which eleven young, Australian Muslim women spoke about, and engaged in, physical activity, we provide a different narrative for HPE teachers and community based practitioners to both consider and draw upon in their curriculum and policy design and daily practices.