Introduction to Kinesiology 01

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In This Chapter:

Denitions and Dimensions 2

KinesiologyDened2

The Scope of Kinesiology 3

TheSignicanceofKinesiology5

The Name Game 6

TheImportanceofFindingtheRightName6

TheContendersintheNameGame 6

Spheres of Scholarly Study 8

TheDiversityofHigherEducation8

TheInclusivenessofKinesiology9

TheValueofOurKnowledgeBases10

Experiencing the Body of Knowledge 11

PersonalApplications11

PublicImplications12

ProfessionalPromise13

What the Future Holds 14

SubdisciplinaryApproach14

ProfessionalandMotorPerformanceApproaches15

Summary 15



1

CHAPTER 1

Introduction to Kinesiology

After completing this chapter you should be able to:

explainthemeaning,signicance,andscopeofthefocusofkinesiology;

explainthechoiceofkinesiologyasthepreferrednameforoureld;

describethespheresofscholarlystudythatconstitutekinesiology;

experiencethemeaningofkinesiologyinyourownlife.



2 Introduction to Kinesiology

Studies in kinesiology, or the science o humanmovement, not only accommodate a rangeo educational purposes but also have a very

personal impact. From the moment we wake upin the morning to the moment our heads hit the

pillow at night, we perorm hundreds o dierentmovements and engage in a wide array o physicalactivities. Human movement aects our personalhealth, wellness, and physical achievements indistinct ways, providing a unique opportunity toexplore and interact with the world around us.

In act, issues related to health and humanmovement have become primary concerns o allsocieties today. From health promotion to humanperormance, the highly interdisciplinary eld o kinesiology provides a natural springboard or stu-

dents interested in discovering and unraveling thecomplexities o human movement.

The popularity o kinesiology refects its widescope and signicance as an emerging eld o study.But to understand where we are going, we haveto understand where we came rom. This chapter will help you understand how the discipline o kinesiology has evolved and will discuss why it hastaken its current orm and ocus.

Denitions and Dimensions

Kinesiology Dened

Kinesiology is the new and exciting eld o study o human movement. The meaning o kinesiol-ogy was best dened in 1990 by the American Academy o Physical Education when it resolvedto identiy a common name and ocus in order todescribe the academic discipline and to unite theeld. Through this action, the Academy hoped tosettle the ollowing problems acing the emerging academic eld o study:

More than 100 dierent names were being used

or academic programs and administrative unitsrelated to the study o human movement.

The basic conceptual ramework o this body o knowledge varied greatly rom university cam-pus to campus.

The multitude o degree titles, program names,and administrative rubrics produced conusionregarding the nature o the study o movement,even among academicians who work in the eld.



A Biophysical Perspective 3

The American Academy o Physical Educationbelieved that a nationally accepted name anddenition o the body o knowledge would providea stronger sense o purpose, higher visibility in theacademic community, and a greater understanding

o the discipline by the public, so it crated theollowing resolution:

BeitresolvedthattheAmericanAcademyofPhysi-

calEducationrecommendsthatthesubjectmatter

core content for undergraduate baccalaureate de-

greesrelated tothe studyof movementbe called

Kinesiology, and that baccalaureate degrees in

the academic discipline be titled Kinesiology. The

American Academy of Physical Education encour -

agesadministrative units, suchas departmentsor

divisions,inwhichtheacademicstudyofKinesiol-

ogyispredominant,toadoptthenameKinesiology.

Finally, in any situation in whichan administrative

unitfeelscomfortableindescribingthetotalityofitscomponentsby thetitleofthe bodyof knowledge,

the Academy recommends that this descriptor be

Kinesiology.

This statement by the Academy was a long time coming; the leaders o the eld had beendiscussing denitions and dimensions throughoutthe preceding century. As long ago as 1893,Thomas Wood suggested, in his address to theInternational Congress o Education, that “the

term physical education is so misleading, and evenmisrepresented, that we look or a name whichshall represent airly the real idea o the science.”In 1964, Franklin Henry, one o the ounding athers o our academic study, recognized thata schism was developing between disciplinesclaiming to study human movement: “There isan increasing need or the organization and study o the academic disciplines herein called physicaleducation. As each o the traditional elds o knowledge concerning man becomes more

specialized, complex, and detailed, it becomesmore dierentiated rom physical education.”

The Scope of Kinesiology

One o the underlying reasons that the conusionabout denitions and dimensions went on or solong is the extraordinary breadth and scope o academic approaches and proessional purposes that

have both dened and divided programs throughthe years. The ways that changes in the structureand purpose o higher education have led to themodern approach to social, cultural, behavioral,and biophysical perspectives o kinesiology arediscussed later in this chapter (see the section onspheres o scholarly study) and throughout thebook. Despite (and because o) years o intense

– and sometimes tense – discussions among theleaders o the evolving eld about the orm itshould take and the name it should be given, theeld has continued to fourish.

A primary reason or the popularity o kinesiology is the increasing recognition o the importance o health-related and skill-related human movement.Because health and human movement are so closely linked, the study o human movement naturally links with a concern or health. The correlationbetween being physically active and being healthy is proven. Physical activity o various types is valuednot only or its preventive capacities but also as a orm o treatment or many conditions. O course,it has always been the basis o physical therapy, butphysical activity is also recommended as part o theremedial protocol or many liestyle diseases in the Western medical establishment and as a orm o health promotion through such activities as tai chiand yoga in the Eastern tradition (Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1 Aprimaryreasonforthepopularity

ofkinesiologyistheincreasingrecognitionof

theimportanceofhealth-relatedandskill-related

humanmovement.




The biophysical bases o movement to whichyou will be introduced in this book are essentialprerequisites or proessions in human movementand health enhancement. It is no accident thatgraduates o kinesiology programs are in great de-

mand in health-related and medical proessions as well as in perormance-enhancement and teaching settings. Health in kinesiology is more proactive and preventive than the reactive orms o medi-cine that ocus exclusively on the treatment o dis-ease. Health encompasses the dynamic, constantly changing process o trying to reach one’s potential;wellness goes one step urther to combine healthand happiness in a balanced state o well-being.

Skill-related perormance is an importantstar in the constellation o kinesiology practice.

It includes athletic movement that may involvevarying degrees o vigor and may invoke bothne and gross motor skills. It fuctuates along a continuum o organization, rom the creativereedom o play to the more structured modeso organized competitive sport played at every level by people o all ages with varying degreeso seriousness. Competition is a variable conceptthat may range rom team sports, where groups o people compete against each other in such popularpastimes as ootball and basketball, to a range o individual challenges (Figure 1.2), including

one versus sel – contests motivated by a desireor personal challenge;

one versus another – individual sport contests,such as tennis;

one versus many – activities such as marathonrunning and triathlons;

one versus standards – o distance (jumps,

throws) or time (time trials); and

one versus nature – conquering the elements(e.g., rock climbing).

When combined into one program o study,health-related movement and skill-related physicalactivity provide considerable scope or study and a broad array o potential proessions in and throughkinesiology.

Figure 1.2 Competitionisavariableconcept

thatincludesarangeofindividualchallenges

includingA.Oneversusself.B.Oneversus

another.C.Oneversusmany.D.Oneversus

standards.E.Oneversusnature.

C

A

B

D

E




The Signicance of

Kinesiology

Human movement has potential as the ocus o our studies because it is eminently researchable

and because perormance and health enhance-ment are topics o great interest to us individu-ally and to the larger global community today.The eld lends itsel readily to both descriptiveand prescriptive research methodologies. Building rom the description o the current state o aairs(what is ), we can proceed to study, research, andprescribe what might be (e.g., how could peror-mance be enhanced). Human movement is alsohighly accessible to research rom a wide range o social, cultural, behavioral, and biophysical disci-plines, so it is an attractive ocus rom a variety o perspectives.

Kinesiology has the potential to help answermany o the major questions acing the globalcommunity. It is hard to name other academic eldsthat address topics o such signicance as personal,public, and environmental health; teaching andlearning based on motor development and skillacquisition; and perormance at every level up toelite sport. Issues abound in high-level athletic

perormance, and the research conclusions canhave great signicance in a cultural phenomenono intense public interest. Proessional sportsculminating in such popular events as the OlympicGames and World Cup soccer grip the attentiono nations.

Kinesiology also has a ocus o considerablescholarly signicance in sport because o organizedsport’s cultural impact. Infuenced by media coverageo sport and by concern or their own health, people

o all ages, o every skill level, and in the ull rangeo physical conditions are active in sports. Similarly,the ocus on health and wellness, prevention o liestyle diseases, and promotion o liespan well-being has never been as pronounced or as widespread

as today. The biophysical bases o our eld, such asexercise physiology, biomechanics, and nutrition,attract many to kinesiology, as does the scope orsociocultural, behavioral, and philosophical analysisaorded by the ull range o human movementaction in society today. Consequently, kinesiology is becoming the choice o an ever-increasing cadreo students, who ultimately swell the ranks o such movement-related proessions and health-related careers as teachers and coaches, researchersand proessors, physicians and physical therapists

(Figure 1.3; also see Chapter 16).

Figure 1.3 Anever-increasingnumberof

studentsarechoosingtopursuemovement-

relatedprofessionsandhealth-relatedcareers

asthefocusonhealthandwellnesshasgrown.




The Name Game

The Importance of Finding

the Right Name

Through words we communicate our understanding o reality. Unlike numbers, which might havethe same meaning to all, words are loaded withalternative interpretations, hence the requency o misunderstandings in daily dialogue. The choice o words is a political act; the outcome o an interactiondepends on the appropriateness o their selection.Similarly, the choice o labels to introduce anddene ourselves, and most importantly to describe

our eld o study, has drastic consequences. Itimmediately implants images o what we do and who we are. We can wear the right label proudly, asa badge o respectability, or we can expend time andeort dispelling negative connotations rom theminds o our audience i we pick an inappropriateterm. Acceptability, credibility, and viability rideon our choice. Centrality in an organization(such as a university), unding or research, andour upward proessional mobility are aected by how we project ourselves and how others view the

reputation o our eld.

The Contenders in the Name

Game

Many names have been tried through the ages,some o which are preerred over kinesiology inparticular institutional settings.

Physical Education

The most widely used name or our eldthroughout history has been physical education,sometimes joined by health, recreation, and danceto orm HPERD departments. In some universitiesand in some societies other than North America,physical education might still be the best choice,particularly when the sole mission o that programis to prepare teachers o physical education orthe public school system. However, a consensus

seems to be orming in North American highereducation that physical education is no longer themost appropriate descriptor or most programs,primarily because the eld o study has undergonea curriculum metamorphosis in the latter part o

the 20th century. The title physical education ailsto adequately describe either the ocus o study or the change in approach (Figure 1.4). Sincethe initiatives o Franklin Henry, the eld hasgradually been shiting toward a more scholarly,research-oriented, disciplinary approach. Forty years later the reality o kinesiology is ar removedrom stereotypes o physical education. Changing these stereotypes is problematic, because they aredeeply rooted in traditional associations with theollowing:

Activity programs encountered in K-12 that aredevoid o academic content and rarely linked tothe intellectual mission o the school.

High school and college athletics programs thatmay, or may not, be based on the developmento student-athletes. On the one hand, you would expect an individual who excels inathletic perormance to gravitate toward thedepartment that studies human movement.

Many o these student-athletes excel in allspheres o learning and are so well rounded thatthey become leaders o the eld, but some are

Figure 1.4 Althoughphysicaleducationhas

beenthemostwidelyusednamefortheeld

throughouthistory,thisnamemaystillbe

appropriateonlyforprogramsfocusingon

preparingteachersofphysicaleducationforthe

publicschoolsystem.




marginal students with high athletic talent butlow scholarly expectations. All too requently inthe past, teacher-coaches who taught physicaleducation would “take care o” such athletesin the classroom, providing passing grades to

ensure athletic eligibility regardless o academicperormance. The damaging “easy major”stereotype that runs counter to the modern-day reality o academic excellence, terminal degrees,and cutting-edge research lingers on despite thebest eorts o physical education reormers toeradicate them.

One exclusive mission: the preparation o schoolteachers. Recently, the ocus o proessionalpreparation has broadened to encompass an

array o alternative opportunities. The label physical education suggests one uture career andone only, which complicates the lives o students who have chosen to study human movement inorder to embark on proessional pathways inelds ar removed rom teaching, such as healthcare or research.

Labels that are limited and limiting. The word physical is too narrow to be used in the title.In a world o dichotomies, physical tends tosuggest that the study o human movement isnot intellectual, mental, or spiritual. Similarly,education is unnecessary and redundant in a university setting: Other departments do notadd education to their titles (history educationor mathematics education). And, once again, the word education is misleading in that it narrowly points toward a teaching degree in a setting wherestudents are preparing or many other careers.

Other Names

Other names exist to describe the study o humanmovement. Many o them incorporate the wordsexercise , sport , ftness , and human movement ,usually in combination with science , studies , or, lessrequently,arts . The problem with such titles is theirconstricting capacity; such labels as exercise scienceby denition limit the ocus o the program (toexercise) and eliminate alternative methodologicalapproaches (except science). Because the label

physical education is laden with stereotypes andentrenched in public misperception, and to avoidoverly elaborate and complex titles such as humanmovement and sport studies, many academic unitshave opted to adopt the name change resolution

proposed by the leaders in the eld and reinorced when the American Academy o Physical Educationchanged its own name to the American Academy o Kinesiology and Physical Education.

Why Is Kinesiology the Name

Game Winner?

Because it FITS best, where FITS stands or Focus o study, Intuitively appropriate, Treats all approachesequally, and Sounds right (Figure 1.5).

Focus of Study Above all, the name o thedepartment should evoke the ocus o study o thatunit. The word kinesiology does just that; its rootscan be traced back to ancient Greek terminology to literally mean the study o (logy ) human action(kin). Consequently, this title clearly presents thecentral topic o human movement and representsall o the acets o this ocus through a nonspecicumbrella term that covers exercise, tness, sport,health, leisure, recreation, and play in a way that

Figure 1.5 Ofallthecontendersinthename

game,kinesiologyhasbeenthrustintothe

spotlightbecauseitFITS.

KINESIOLOGY

Introduction to Kinesiology 01

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