Masculinities in school Physical Education: a study on the processes of inclusion/exclusion

Abstract

This case study aimed to identify the processes of inclusion/exclusion, in a class of elementary school physical education. Inclusion/exclusion, in this work, are understood in a relationship dialectic, a phenomenon understood under a dynamic characteristic and inseparable, where one cannot consider them through distinct meanings. We found through participant observation, with annotations in field journal, that the central mechanism of inclusion/exclusion was based on physical performance and engine for the practice of sports, together with a competitiveness exacerbated, central feature of hegemonic model of masculinity which was predominant among the boys in class. We recognize that the pedagogical practice of the teacher can influence the interactions between subjects during body activities, allowing the harmonious coexistence of multiple forms of masculinity among students, toward the movement for inclusion in physical education classes and in education in general.