History of Physical Activity PED 191 History of Physical Activity

Ontology Across Time

Panem et circenses: bread and circuses A strong mind in a healthy body Mens sana en corpore sano Asceticism: bodily self denial

Middle Ages Focus on the soul, secondarily on the mind Tertiary - the body BUT knights, peasants are physical Play is common Associated with Sundays, leisure Point: the CHURCH argues against physicality; culture lives for it

From Middle Ages to Renaissance - Humanism Renaissance - “rebirth” Focus on “this world” Being a complete person “Renaissance Man” L’homo universale Reading the classics: Plato, Aristotle Balance!

Renaissance Movement from the East accelerates in 1453 with fall of Byzantium Scholars, lay people reading the classics - Plato, Aristotle Infusion of classics with Christianity

Renaissance Vittorino da Feltre 1423 La Giocosa Introduction of physical education into education Duns Scotus Scholarship “Duns cap”

Jean Jacques Rousseau, 1712-78 Emile, or On Education "Everything is good as it leaves the Author of things; everything degenerates in the hands of man." Argument: God is good God made our bodies It is “natural” to use our bodies, so we should

Johann Bernhard Basedow 1723-90 Student of Rousseau Proposed the reform of education Tried to bring students into contact with the real world, not just ideas or religion. 1774 published Elementarwerk Philanthropin Implements physical education program

Johann Christoph Friedrich GutsMuths 1759-1839 Founder German school of gymnastics His handbooks widely used Gymnastik far die Jugend (1793)

Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778 - 1852) “Turnvater Jahn” Early in life a soldier, witnessed defeats to Napoleon The turnverein Sought to restore spirits of Germans through the development of moral and physical prowess through gymnastics

Jahn… Turnplatz, 1811 Outdoor physical activity Later “heavy apparatus” Rope climbs, pommel horse In the early 19th century, when Jahn, regarded as the father of gymnastics, was alive, there were three different kinds of horses on the Hasenheide in Berlin: One very close to reality with a head and a tail, one made of leather without a tail but with an ascending neck and the wooden schwingelﾊ a word which F.L. Jahn, who detested the use of foreign words in German, had created to avoid the originally French word of Voltegieren. The latter developed into the Olympic apparatus of pommel horse

Jahn…. Turnplatz become popular in USA in 1800s physical education programs Pierre de Coubertin adopts gymnastics in 1896 Olympics Evolves into the modern sport of gymnastics

Per Henrik Ling (1776-1839) Originally trained in theology, became destitute Became fencing master, teacher Restored his health Studied anatomy/physiology Trained as a physician

Ling… Developed a system of gymnastics divided into four branches pedagogical medical military aesthetic 1813 Royal Gymnastic Central Institute Trained of gymnastic instructors

Ling… “Light Apparatus” Fencing, calisthenics Based on medicine and science Precursor to contemporary aerobics (group fitness), exercise evaluation and prescription

Into America… By late 1800s there is a movement to have gymnastics (PE) in the schools Models: Ling and Jahn “Battle of the Systems” 1885 American Physical Education Association meets 49 attend, 25 are physicians

Into America: 1885 - 1900 School system is just developing: what will be the curriculum? First discussions of PE are health related Battle of the Systems is a fight over the best curriculum

Into America: 1900 - 1920 Transition from medicine to education John Dewey, progressive education advocate Philosopher: proponent of the American philosophy of pragmatism “Educate the whole person” Citizenship rather than health (which is “just” the body)

Into America: 1900-1920 Sport for All Use sport, especially team games, to build citizenship Movement away from calisthenics “Sport builds character” Coaches deliver the curriculum, especially football coaches

America 1920 to 2000 Skills emphasis in American physical education Lasts into the 1990s when obesity observations leads to an awareness of a physical inactivity epidemic

Premodern and Modern Sport Organization Formal Differentiated at local, regional, national levels Rules formal, standard, written rational and overseen by organization Premodern Organization Nonexistent or informal Arranged directly or indirectly Rules simple, unwritten based on local customs/traditions

Premodern and Modern Sport Competition locally meaningful Roles loose distinction among players/spectators Modern Competition national and international Roles—specialists distinction between players/spectators

Premodern and Modern Sport Public information limited, local, oral Stats/records nonexistent, perhaps anecdotal Modern Public information Regular: in local and national mediums Stats/records kept regularly important measures of achievement

Industrialization/ Urbanization Another paradigm to understand change in sport over time Views one’s leisure activities dependent on living pattern Shift from rural to urban patterns Move from country games to city games from hunting and fishing to urban games

Industrialization/ Urbanization Concept of enclosure becomes important Space is limited one’s recreational pursuits are guided into confined spaces Example: American basketball Availability of lots of people makes possible team games