Intergenerational touch in physical education in relation to heteronormativity: Female students’ perspectives

Abstract

Research within the field of intergenerational touch has shown that there is a tension between the need to use physical contact as an obvious pedagogical tool, and the no-touch discourse. Within this tension physical contact between physical education teachers and students has also been shown to be a gender/ed issue with heteronormative points of departure. The aim of this study is to investigate how young adult female students’ talk about physical contact between teachers and students in physical education is related to heteronormativity. The study takes its starting point in Foucault’s work on discourses and Butler’s performative perspective. Thirteen female students in upper secondary school were interviewed in four focus groups using photo elicitation. In the findings, three performatives are identified that show how the students’ talk about physical contact between teacher and student in physical education is related to heteronormativity. The three performatives are: (a) gendering with age; (b) being wary of men; and (c) feeling sympathy for men. The paper discusses the effects the heteronormative discourse has on young adult female students and male teachers in relation to physical contact in physical education.