ABSTRACT
In this chapter we use relational analysis as conceptualised by Apple (1979) and Giddens (1990) in the context of social science, and by Hall (1996) in the context of feminist critique, as a theoretical tool for the exploration of girls’ perceptions and experiences of physical education and physical activity in England in the late 1990s. The concept of situated learning, as defined by Lave and Wenger (1991) and Kirk and Macdonald (1998), is also used as an aid to understanding what we conclude is the relative failure, to date, of policies purported to promote curricula which deliver entitlement for all. Our data reveal clear inadequacies in contemporary physical education in relation to the needs and interests of girls.
