Fifteenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

Many college undergraduates are interested in physical exercise for their own benefit or physical education as a vocation. And the social sciences are the scientific study of human society and social relationships. This leads to a great cross-disciplinary opportunity to engage students within their interests while considering their interaction within the greater society around them. Bicycling is well positioned for this cross-disciplinary teaching as it occurs within society amongst other citizens and within publicly provided infrastructure. And it’s experiential as bicyclists are acting physically as an individual and as a member of society. This allows social science theories such as equitable access to goods, health disparities and financing alternatives for public infrastructure to be studied while engaging in the physical education of bicycling. This poster exhibits biking courses undertaken by undergraduates of a variety of majors – both locally as a physical education course and internationally within a two-week, 200-mile interdisciplinary travel course in the Netherlands. It includes student testimonials and survey results for how bicycling has broadened their understanding of societal structure. The study also includes visual media of students biking within local and international settings to highlight these social science theories. This poster finally highlights the primary differences between bicycling education in the United States and elsewhere. Specifically, much of the bicycling education in the US is geared towards biking safety on roadways with cars. This study highlights those differences and outcomes for the physical education of bicycling and its impact within broader societal participation.