Background: Physical education (PE) has been identified as a place ingrained with homophobic and heterosexist practices (Clarke, 1998). Given this, the discussion of (homo)sexualities in PE has been considered ‘taboo’ (Clarke, 2006). To date, there is minimal research with queer-identified persons in PE (notable exceptions are Sykes, 2011; McGlashan, 2014; Clarke, 2006). Previous empirical work focused on experiences of queer-identified students and teachers. Therefore, little research has analysed the ‘affects’ of PE practices on queer bodies.
Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to understand how PE practices ‘affect’ queer bodies.
Theory: Given the focus on ‘affect’, the author drew on theoretical insights from new materialist (Fox & Alldred, 2016) conceptualizations of Deleuze and Guattari (1983; 1987).
Design & Analysis: Data were generated using critical ethnographic (Thomas, 1993) and post-qualitative methods (Lather & St. Pierre, 2013; St. Pierre, 2013) to investigate affective experiences of queer youth in health-based settings. The ethnography took place at a queer organisation in New Zealand for 5 months. The data used for this paper were generated via 41 interviews (focus group and individual) with 58 queer-identified youth (aged 13-25). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and sent back to the participants as a form of member-checking (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) to increase credibility and plausibility (Merriam, 2009). The author conducted ‘initial coding’ (Saldaña, 2013) by examining data for similarities and differences. After initial coding, the author theoretically coded (Saldaña, 2013) data using ‘new materialist’ data analysis techniques (Jackson, 2013; Ringrose & Coleman, 2013).
Results: Preliminary results indicate that PE pedagogical practices augment and limit ‘what the queer body can do’. In particular, PE practices limit the ways students express their gendered, sexual, or health identities. Importantly, however, queer bodies are augmented in PE because dominant practices provide spaces to foster friendships, enact resistance, and increase students’ confidence.
• Transformative learning and teaching in physical education and sports pedagogy , • Innovative perspectives on physical education, physical activity, health and wellbeing a
