Week 1 Notes – Introduction to Kinesiology

Introduction to Kinesiology (Week 1) - Comprehensive Notes

  • Purpose of the course week: Introduce kinesiology, physical activity experiences, and the philosophy behind the field.

Three Spheres of Knowledge in Physical Activity Experience (conceptual framework)

  • Conceptual frameworks help organize complicated and varying experiences with visual organization and definitions.

  • Three Spheres of Knowledge in Physical Activity Experience:

    • Direct personal experience in physical activity (professional practice through doing/watching).

    • Scholarship of physical activity (researching, reading, studying, and discussing theoretical and practical aspects).

    • Professional experience in physical activity (designing and implementing physical activity programs for clients in one’s professional practice).

  • These three spheres form the core way people learn about kinesiology: through doing, studying, and applying.

Three Spheres - Definitions and Examples

  • Direct personal experience:

    • Direct involvement in physical activity (watching or doing).

  • Scholarship of physical activity:

    • Engaging with theory and research: reading journals, discussing with colleagues, studying concepts.

  • Professional experience in physical activity:

    • Applying knowledge to real-world practice: designing and implementing programs for clients.

  • Examples across the three spheres:

    • Youth soccer (direct experience).

    • Completing chores (direct experience).

    • PE class in school (direct experience).

    • Being in KIN 201 (direct/educational experience).

    • Reading academic journals (scholarship).

    • Student research (scholarship).

    • Internship at a physical therapy office (professional experience).

    • Becoming a profession (career trajectory and professional development).

What is Physical Activity?

  • Definition: “Intentional, voluntary movement directed toward achieving an identifiable goal.”

  • Breakdown:

    • Intentional: done on purpose; deliberate.

    • Voluntary: done or enacted of one’s own free will.

    • Directed toward achieving an identifiable goal.

  • Key point: These characteristics hold true regardless of energy expenditure or setting/form.

  • Movement vs Physical Activity:

    • Movement: Any change in the position of one’s body parts relative to each other.

    • Physical Activity: A subset of movement that is intentional, voluntary, and goal-directed.

    • Not all movement is physical activity; all physical activity is movement.

Movement vs Physical Activity – Examples

  • Activities that are movements but may or may not be active physical activity:

    • Brushing teeth (movement; may not meet the criteria for physical activity depending on intention/goal).

    • Yawning (movement; not physical activity).

    • Mowing the lawn (movement; often intentional and goal-directed; can be physical activity).

    • Changing positions while sleeping (movement; not intentional physical activity).

    • Digesting food (metabolic process; not movement for a goal-directed activity).

    • Climbing stairs (movement; if done with intentional goal and voluntary control, is physical activity).

    • Playing a sport (clear physical activity).

What Influences Your Physical Activity?

  • Personal circumstances

  • Geography

  • Local physical activity culture

  • Economic considerations

  • Personal attributes

  • Quality and quantity of physical activity experiences

  • Social environment:

    • Parents

    • Peers

    • Teachers or coaches

Seven Purposes of Physical Activity Experiences

  • Physical activity experiences serve multiple purposes; areas are not mutually exclusive, and an activity can fulfill several purposes.

  • The seven commonly cited purposes:

    • Health

    • Competition

    • Self-sufficiency

    • Self-expression

    • Work

    • Education

    • Leisure

  • These purposes shape why individuals engage in particular activities and how they experience them.

Self-Sufficiency

  • Definition: One’s ability to be physically independent.

  • Related concepts:

    • Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

    • Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

    • Home maintenance abilities

  • Related professionals: Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Physical Therapists (PTs).

Self-Expression

  • Definition: Intentional expression of emotions, feelings, and identity through physical activity.

  • Note: Some emotional body language or celebratory movements may occur without explicit intention; such instances would not be considered physical activity.

Work

  • Definition: Any type of physical activity done at a place of work.

  • Examples:

    • Pizza delivery to construction workers to professional athlete (illustrative of the broad range of work-related activity).

    • Most people do not perform much physical activity at their jobs.

  • Additional context: Hypokinetic disease risks and ergonomic considerations (e.g., ergonomic engineers).

Education

  • Definition: Learning how to do physical activity.

  • Examples:

    • Learning to walk, to more complex tasks like performing surgery.

    • Most education in physical activity comes from sport/exercise and physical education in school.

  • Key roles: Physical education teachers, coaches, and trainers.

Leisure

  • Definition: A state of contentment typically evoked by a challenging activity that stimulates imagination, creativity, and identity through physical activity.

  • Characteristic: Something done simply for the pleasure of doing it.

Health

  • The umbrella concept linking physical activity to overall well-being.

  • PETS of activity: Health is both a personal and community-oriented outcome of engaging in physical activity.

  • The slide emphasizes health as a central focus alongside other purposes.

Competition

  • Role: An organizing principle in activity that can be enjoyable or challenging; it often fosters excitement and striving for personal excellence.

  • Etymology: The word competition derives from a Latin root meaning “to strive together.”

  • Question posed: Is competition counterintuitive to health and well-being? Consider balance between striving and cooperation.

How Many of You… (Reflective prompts)

  • Prompted students to reflect on their own engagement in dance, exercise, sport training, health, physical therapy, fat loss, muscle building, walking, running, kicking, etc.

Focuses of Physical Activity in Kinesiology

  • Four large groups describing how we gain physical activity experiences (aka seven areas of experience):

    • Dance

    • Exercise

    • Training

    • Health-related

  • Additional categories/examples mentioned: Therapeutic, Cosmetic, Fundamental movement patterns, Sport

  • Note: The seven areas of experience correspond to different reasons people engage in activities; individuals’ reasons vary.

What is a Sport? (Student’s preferred definition)

  • Definition proposed by the student:

    • “Sport is an institutionalized competitive activity that involves physical skill and specialized facilities or equipment and is conducted according to an accepted set of rules in order to determine a winner.”

  • Key elements (breakdown):

    • Institutionalized: governed by an outside body (e.g., NFL, NCAA, Little League).

    • Competition: presence of a winner motivates participation.

    • Physical skill: movement, coordination, strength, speed, endurance, flexibility.

    • Specialized: equipment and facilities tailored to the sport.

Kinesiology Names (Terminology Across Institutions)

  • Common alternative names for kinesiology departments:

    • Exercise and Sport Science

    • Human Performance

    • Health and Human Performance

    • Health and Kinesiology

    • Human Movement Science

    • Sports Studies

    • Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER)

  • Note: Best term for the field is debated; historically, many departments started as Physical Education before broadening to Kinesiology; CSULB uses and embraces the term Kinesiology.

Kinesiology Study Tree

  • Historical note: In the 1990s, KIN was primarily Physical Education.

  • Growth factors for the field:
    1) Increase in the number of physical activity professions.
    2) Greater appreciation for the importance of physical activity.

  • Outcome: KIN became one of the largest and fastest-growing majors at universities.

Holistic Nature of Kinesiology

  • Humans are holistic creatures with interdependent dimensions:

    • Cognitions (thinking)

    • Emotions

    • Bodies (physical aspect)

    • Spirits (sense of meaning or purpose)

Philosophy in Physical Activity

  • Philosophy of physical activity argues for personal meaning and motivation in activity choices.

  • Key idea: Physical activity is best when personally meaningful; the journey (what, how, and why) shapes motivation, learning, and perceived success.

  • How do we determine what is meaningful? Philosophical inquiry helps address this.

Why Use Philosophical Thinking?

  • Philosophy is often called the “Queen of the Sciences” and asks big, meaningful questions;

  • It uses research tools that transcend other disciplines;

  • Philosophical thinking in kinesiology is interdependent with other subdisciplines; reflection is central.

What Do Philosophers Do?

  • Key areas of philosophical inquiry in kinesiology:

    • Metaphysics: Understand the nature of health and physical activity through reasoning.

    • Epistemology: Understand the confidence and evidence behind claims in kinesiology.

    • Axiology: Understand values of life and recognize differing values across people.

    • Ethics: Learn how to behave in sport and professional life as kinesiologists.

Metaphysics: Types of Philosophical Reasoning

  • Inductive reasoning: General principles from specific cases.

  • Deductive reasoning: Specific conclusions from broad premises.

  • Descriptive reasoning: Describe how things are.

Epistemology: Types of Philosophical Claims

  • Personal opinion: Lowest truth level due to subjectivity.

  • Speculation: Theorizing without firm evidence.

  • Probable assertion: Supported by considerable evidence; likely true.

  • Truth assertion: Very strong claims that are difficult to question.

Axiology: Value Systems in Human Life

  • Materialism: Human beings are machines; subjective experiences exist but lack transformative power; we have bodies.

  • Dualism: Mind and body are separate; thoughts have priority, but bodies and thoughts exist.

  • Holism: Mind and body are interdependent; all behavior is ambiguous; we are integrated beings.

Ethics: Social Behavior and Value Systems

  • Three philosophical values systems of social behavior:

    • Morality: Behaviors based on personal principles or conscience.

    • Nonmoral values: Desires such as happiness, ice cream, and good health that motivate behavior.

    • Ethics: Societal expectations and norms for how to act.

Basic Behavioral Guidelines for Sport

  • Guidelines commonly observed in sport:

    • Follow the rules of the sport.

    • Respect your opponent.

    • Strive to bring out the best performance in one another.

    • Care about your opponent’s well-being as much as your own.

    • How you play reflects you as a person, perhaps as much as the score.

  • Encourages self-reflection: Are actions moral and ethical in your sport participation?

  • Acknowledges that ethics and morals can be complex and sometimes unclear.

  • A prompt example is provided from UNC about whistleblowing ethics (see below).

Ethics of “Blowing the Whistle” (Case Prompt)

  • Scenario: Mary Willingham at UNC—ethical dilemma of whistleblowing in sport.

  • Questions to ponder include:

    • Which philosophical value system (morality, nonmoral values, or ethics) was guiding the action?

    • Does doing the “right thing” outweigh social influence of sport?

    • What are the consequences for athletes and the department if misconduct is exposed or if the department is dissolved?

    • Is the whistleblowing worth the potential outcomes for those involved?

Closing: Course Logistics

  • Extra Credit Survey: Due 9/5 by 11:59 pm (10 points).

  • No need to email if completed; Dr. Walters (principal investigator) will be notified.

  • Next week: Read Chapter 4 & 5 (History and Sociology of Physical Activity). Research Survey and Paper 1 due 9/5.

Quick Recall: Key Terms to Know

  • Kinesiology: Study of human movement and physical activity across spheres of knowledge.

  • Conceptual framework: A structured way to organize thoughts about complex topics.

  • ADLs/IADLs: Activities of Daily Living / Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (relevant to self-sufficiency).

  • Metaphysics/Epistemology/Axiology/Ethics: Core branches of philosophy relevant to kinesiology.

  • Inductive/Deductive/Descriptive reasoning: Modes of philosophical argument.

  • Holism vs. Dualism vs. Materialism: Competing views of mind-body relation.

If you’d like, I can convert these notes into a printable PDF, or reorganize them by topic or exam focus (definitions first, then applications, then ethical case studies).