Power to the PEople: Reconsidering how concepts of power are used in physical education scholarship

Theories of power form an important element of much scholarship in physical education and health (PEH). Regardless of focus or empirical approach, the ways that scholars conceptualize power have significant implications for... [ view full abstract ]

Theories of power form an important element of much scholarship in physical education and health (PEH). Regardless of focus or empirical approach, the ways that scholars conceptualize power have significant implications for how actors and relations between actors come to be understood. This paper has two aims. The first is to provide an overview of the broad ways that power has been conceptualized by PEH scholars in the last 25 years. Such an overview provides insights into broad patterns in theorizing within the field and points to aspects of pedagogy that require further theorizing. To achieve this first aim, we employ Haugaard’s (2010) discussion of power as a ‘family resemblance concept’, which accordingly can be thought of as episodic, dispositional, systemic, power to, power over, empowerment, legitimate and as domination. We concentrate on physical education literature in which scholars explicitly refer to, and describe in detail, their conceptions of power. The second aim is to propose a conception of power that has seldom been utilized in PE. Here, we draw on the work of political scientist White (1972) to suggest that power can be understood as an ability to bring about significant and intended changes in one’s environment. Implications of this proposition are discussed in relation to pedagogical research and practice.