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Still building American character: sport and the physical education curriculum
Author(s) -
Rees C. Roger
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
the curriculum journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.843
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1469-3704
pISSN - 0958-5176
DOI - 10.1080/0958517970080202
Subject(s) - popularity , legitimacy , socialization , physical education , curriculum , compromise , entertainment , sport management , sociology , public relations , theme (computing) , pedagogy , psychology , political science , social psychology , law , social science , politics , computer science , operating system
This paper describes a ‘local’ reaction to the global theme that ‘sport builds character’. It shows how the emphasis on winning in sports has led to the growth of a unique system of interscholastic athletics in American schools which provides important socialization experiences for students and acts as entertainment for the community. I suggest that the founders of physical education in America used the popularity of sport to establish their subject as a legitimate component of secondary education, and argue that the current popularity of athletics is now undermining that legitimacy. To support this claim, I give examples of how the system of athletics can compromise the current reform efforts in physical education which use sports as a medium to develop self‐responsibility and raise moral issues.