Physical education in high school: on the history of sports

Abstract:

This article analyzes the knowledge high school students have regarding the history of sports. A questionnaire elaborated on the topic was answered by 148 students from public schools in northwestern Paraná, Brazil. Data was analyzed according to the Critical Theory of Society. The participants indicated a mismatch between the different bodily expressions, in distinct historical periods, regarding rules, bodily techniques, levels of physical violence and the meaning and significance of such practices, mainly associating sports with Antiquity, without acknowledging it as a present-day phenomenon. This understanding, influenced by the culture industry, hinders reflecting upon violent bodily expressions as reproduction of social control.

Keywords:
physical education; sport; culture industry; critical theory