Legitimate embodiment in formal education: Imagery in physical education textbooks

Abstract

[EN]This chapter delves into the embodiment of social imaginary in physical education (PE), examining the prevailing hegemonic model of body culture and its impact on the representation of bodies in Spain. Through an analysis of textbook images, this study reveals the legitimisation of certain forms of embodiment while marginalising others. Textbooks serve as a microcosm that simplifies and selects a partial reality, shaping our understanding of identity, expectations, and role models. This simplification perpetuates inequalities based on gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, somatotype, class, and disability, limiting opportunities for those who do not conform to the hegemonic values associated with these variables. By examining the content of PE textbooks, this chapter provides a privileged space to observe the prevailing imagery, highlighting the pervasive ideological structures of photographic culture in the early twenty-first century. The analysis demonstrates a preference for male, white, young, and non-disabled individuals, along with two dominant families of corporal practices: sports emphasising motor efficiency, and physical exercises (fitness) emphasising health and appearance. PE functions as a biotechnology and a differentiation tool that reinforces a discourse of body normalisation based on notions of health, fitness, and efficiency.