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The purpose of this article is to delineate a more humanistic view of kinesiology by drawing on the rich, but often overlooked, phenomenology of movement literature (Arnold, 1979; Brown & Payne, 2009; Merleau-Ponty, 1962). Brown and Payne (2009) maintain that "phenomenology is a reaction against...the scientization of [kinesiology] that sees its conceptualization, contextualization, representation, and legitimation primarily as a science" (p. 423). By drawing on the work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1962) and Peter Arnold (1979), I argue that kinesiology is not only a scientific discipline charged with creating and disseminating scientifically-based knowledge, but also a field of study that encompasses the performing arts where the experience of movement is valued and appreciated for what it is, independent of scientific analysis or study.
This document was originally published by Western Society of Kinesiology & Wellness (WSKW) in Journal of Kinesiology & Wellness. Copyright restrictions may apply. http://www.wskw.org/
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/tyler_johnson/11/