Constructive collaboration brings together particularities into a comprehensive body of knowledge

Joacim Andersson
Department of Sport Sciences, Malmö University

The anthology Education in Sport and Physical Activity is guided by a purpose that is among the most ambitious I ever experienced. It sets out to “Present a comprehensive, global, and multidisciplinary overview of education in sport and physical activity with a focus on current and future development in the sport and physical activity (PA) and related sectors from a cross-national perspective.” (p. 1). When I digest that, the 47 authors from 20 countries representing all six continents, suddenly make sense. There are 19 chapters too. But let us go straight to the point.

“They feed cow magnets because of all the metal that they eat … like cans, barbed wire, nails, no trespassing signs. They feed them magnets to collect it all in one part of the stomach so it can be removed…” The 19 chapters are like so much metal clanging around in the sporting globe, and the sound of one chapter banging into another; that is the campfire story this book airs out to fellow scholars. In sharing that outdoor experience for a couple of nights I have learned that there has been launched a physical literacy framework in Australia to establish a common language across different levels of the society (p. 131); that The Evita Games have become a platform to advance a culture of solidarity, diversity, and inclusion to consolidate national identity in Argentina (p. 140); that the North American countries are lagging in sport infrastructure while having an overemphasis on early specialization and “increasing for-profit selling of sport” (p. 121); that the Arizona Diamondback donated nine tons of leftovers from the stadium concession to the locals to prevent food loss (p. 29); that approximately 40% of the schools in South Korea regularly cancel their PE classes during poor weather conditions (p. 149); that apps such as Strava could create hyperactive cyclists, driven by obsession rather than enjoyment resulting in overtraining and overexertion (p. 179); that trekking became a very popular activity in New Zealand around the time of WW1 due to European influence on outdoor activities (p. 53); that Eastern Asia countries struggle with students’ lack of engagement in PA and an overemphasis on competition in school sport (p. 153).

Many chapters include elucidating reviews of the functions of different school systems, sport organizations and national agencies, and it spans physical education, elite sport, public health issues, physical activity initiatives, social projects, and coach education.

The book is rich with particularities such as these, and chapters guide the reader through different national conditions and initiatives at an accessible level while keeping its ambition to explain how large institutions and markets interact with local culture and practice. Many chapters include elucidating reviews of the functions of different school systems, sport organizations and national agencies, and it spans physical education, elite sport, public health issues, physical activity initiatives, social projects, and coach education. Despite strong qualities such as these, more explicated research questions had helped the book stretch beyond a mere collection of geographical overviews of PE, PA and sport. On the other hand, the book is greatly assisted by a well-structured disposition that transforms the vast purpose to a straightforward distribution of topics through all its four parts.

Part one illustrates current issues within the field, evident, for example, in challenges associated with balancing a work force that includes volunteer, part time, and full time workers (ch. 1), and navigating commercial logics and more intrinsic cultural values (ch. 2). Part two emphasize new trends probably already familiar to much of the audience. Part three outlines educational specificities around the globe and contextualizes the “campfire stories” referred to above, whereas part four finally aims high in its predictions about ”Education in sport and PA in a Changing World”. Some obvious conclusions worth repeating are that this “Changing World” needs (i) broad pedagogical approaches to PE, PA and sport (p. 165), (ii) critical reflections about wearable technology (ch. 14), and (iii) judgement to distinguish between risks and challenges when targeting empowerment through sport (ch. 15). In this context, future predictions are more grounded on ideals and hopes than identifications of consequential continuities between historical tracks, contemporary routes, and available paths of the future.

The anthology suffers from its implicit motto to let all authors speak freely in the right order and sometimes I think it more has the character of a well-structured and content conscious homepage with timely updates. I partly welcome this but it also comes with the price of tenuous conceptual frameworks and quite a few in-depth critical analyses. What I miss the most is chapters that employ clear participatory approaches. Explanations and description are made at the level of structures, strategies, and policies, and only occasionally employs conceptual frameworks (e.g., ch. 3) capable of handle culture and practice specific matters. In this context the vast purpose promise more than it can deliver. I am left alone to figure out, for example, how certain ‘bildung’ perspectives (Germany and Scandinavia), pragmatist concepts of action and ‘growth’ (North America), and critical views of emancipation (South America and Africa) could have furthered many of the chapters more general problematizations. This is especially troublesome since these traditions hold great resources pertinent to an enrichment of educational thoughts about movement, sport, and physical activity on both individual, institutional, and societal level. Scandinavian readers who expect such problematizations are better assisted by national multidisciplinary books on this topic, which tend to have more sensitive international outlooks than this international overview has national insights.

For the reader who knows what to look for, the book probably serves as a usable collection of international examples of how societies are organizing sport, PE and PA and how citizens in different parts of the world adapts to these conditions. A huge shortage though is the lack of references to the strong body of research (i.e., PE, sport, movement) represented by Swedish scholars within the field.

Research objects, cultural and institutional conditions and theoretical approaches differ, but largely it seems sport researchers around the globe are interested in similar phenomena and pose similar questions. A great value of the book is that it shows us that when we find a point where our paths intersect, we sit down and listen to one another. Indeed, there is always a certain quality to such “clanging” of stories.

I borrowed the cow analogy from Tom Waits. Many years ago, as a guest editor for the music magazine MOJO, he described his music this way: “… songs are like so much metal clanging around in me that I have ingested and cannot pass or digest … and the sound of one song banging into another … that is my music”. I do not know if he tried to describe his music as good or bad through that metaphor, but I am quite sure he thought it captured a certain quality of his art (even though not always sending a clear message). Sometimes, stories that don’t really connect just need someone (or occasionally 47 scholars) to open a gallery for them. Then it becomes a place, a soundscape, in which to rest and listen before you pick up your stuff and move on. It is up to you if you leave your coat on or not, but I suggest you tip your hat when you split. You will probably meet again.

Copyright © Joacim Andersson 2022