THE AGES IN BODY CULTURE: REPRESENTATIONS IN BRAZILIAN PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEXTBOOKS

ABSTRACT This research analyses the body culture which is represented on images of Brazilian physical education textbooks according to the age of their protagonists. The study is empiric, descriptive and comparative. A content analysis was carried out through the elaboration of an ad hoc observational instrument. The results show a distinct representation of body culture according to age and gender. The childhood, adolescence and youth are predominant groups. Girls and mixed groups prevail on childhood and adolescence; men in youth and adulthood. The youth is associated to competitive and elite sports. People of other ages practice individual sports and artistic activities, in non-competitive fields, non-sportive environments and without bounds to elite sports. Among older people, men and women are equally represented in a way that the focus transmits importance.