Features of the cultural and historical transformation of the concept of "physical culture"

Abstract

Vasyl Sutula

Purpose: to distinguish the conditions of occurrence of the term "physical culture" and peculiarities of transformation of the concept of "physical culture" in the process of cultural and historical evolution of the sphere of activity of people related to the use of physical exercises.

Material & Methods: the research methods are the analysis of special literature, which highlights various aspects of the development of basic forms of social manifestations of physical culture.

Results: the results of the study made it possible to formulate a scientific paradigm that underlies the theory describing the development of the field of activity of people associated with the use of physical exercises, the name of which is used the term "physical culture". They also indicate that the term “physical culture” entered widespread social practice in the first half of the 19th century. The analysis of the substantive essence of the concepts of “culture” and “physical” showed that the phrase “physical culture” can be interpreted both in a narrow and in a broad sense. In a narrow sense, it means the development, education, care, improvement of human physicality. In a broad sense, the concept of “physical culture” must be interpreted as the activity of people using physical exercises to develop, educate, care, improve the bodily and spiritual essence of a person, as well as individual and socially significant results of such activities. The analysis also indicates that at the end of the 19th century the term “physical culture” was recognized as the name of the profession.

Conclusions: one of the basic sociocultural factors that influenced the emergence and widespread use of the term “physical culture” in the 19-th century was the introduction of physical exercises for students in national educational systems. During this period, the majority of the pedagogical community and public figures understood physical culture not only as physical exercises, but also the whole complex of factors ensuring the normal development of the body and the health of students. At the beginning of the 20th century, the term “physical culture” was gradually supplanted by the term “physical education”. The analysis showed that before the end of the 19th century in the leading countries of Europe and in the USA as a whole, the process of institutionalizing the health and educational direction in the development of the field of activity of people associated with the use of physical exercises was completed.