Fysisk beröring i idrottskontexter har tidigare setts som något självklart och naturligt men ses idag som ett riskabelt beteende. Forskning visar att fysisk beröring är bra för barn och ungas inlärning, men trots detta finns det en rädsla hos lärare inför att använda fysisk beröring i undervisningen. Forskning visar alltså att fysisk beröring mellan lärare och elev är komplext, för att förstå denna komplexitet ytterligare tar studien sin utgångspunkt i hur fysisk beröring kan förstås ur ett intersektionellt perspektiv. Syftet är således att undersöka vilka maktrelationer som skapas genom fysisk beröring mellan lärare och elev genom att göra en intersektionell läsning av forskning om fysisk beröring. Studien har tagit inspiration från Eriksson Barajas, Forsberg och Wengströms (2013) metod systematisk litteratursökning. Vi har systematiskt sökt litteratur, valt ut artiklar som vi granskat genom en intersektionell läsning och fokuserat på att identifiera de intersektionella faktorerna kön, ålder, etnicitet, sexualitet, klass och funktionsvariation. Studiens huvudsakliga resultat visar att fysisk beröring mellan lärare och elev påverkas av de intersektionella faktorerna kön, kultur och ålder. Resultatet visar även att sexualiseringen av kroppen är en viktig del i att förstå hur faktorerna påverkar fysisk beröring mellan lärare och elev. Studiens slutsats är således att flera olika maktdimensioner mellan lärare och elever spelar stor roll för att förstå relationen mellan fysisk beröring och undervisning. Det behövs således fler intersektionella empiriska studier för att förstå den fysiska beröringens hela komplexitet då det tar sig till uttryck på olika vis för olika människor.

This thesis takes its point of departure in the research field of intergenerational touch in Physical Education (PE). Previous research in the field have mainly been conducted from a teacher’s perspective and has shown that teachers of PE have become more cautious about using physical contact in recent years. The reasons for this more cautious attitude concerning physical contact is above all, the risk f being falsely suspected of sexual harassment. Previous research has, in a general way, also shown that physical contact in PE is a gendered issue with heteronormative points of departure The overall aim of this thesis is to investigate intergenerational touch in PE from a student perspective. More specifically the aims are to investigate physical contact between teachers and students in PE from a student perspective (paper I), and to investigate which discursive resources students draw on to conceptualize physical contact between teacher and student in PE in relation to heteronormativity (paper II). Six focus group interviews using photo elicitation have been conducted with students at an upper secondary school in Sweden. In paper I it is the concept of the didactic contract that is the theoretical starting point. The results show that, generally, the students support physical contact as a pedagogical tool if the physical contact has a good purpose according to the students. An implicit didactic contract is formed when student and teacher agree on when, how or why physical contact is used as a pedagogical tool. In paper II, the theoretical inspiration comes from Foucault and his work with discourses. The results show that the students’ talk is colored by the heteronormative discourse in society. This is especially expressed when young female students talk about male PE teachers. Heteronormativity is taken for granted and is not really challenged. Students generally support physical contact as a pedagogical tool in PE, however it is a very complex issue and puts high demands on PE teachers’ professionalism.

This study was conducted in the Indian state Kerala, among 15 physical education (PE) teachers. The aim of this study was to investigate intergenerational touch in the daily work of Indian PE teachers, and more precisely whether or not the teachers thought intergenerational touch was an issue and what their views on this subject were. The data was generated through semi-structured interviews with teachers from Keralan primary, secondary and upper-secondary schools. Collected data was analysed by using Michel Foucault’s theoretical concepts of discourse, power/knowledge, bio-power, governmentality, normalisation and panopticism. The study identifies a number of different discourses, in which physical interaction emerged as a dilemma for Indian PE teachers. Two of the most distinct ones were, what we refer to as, the “no touch”- and “risk”-discourses. Based on the findings of this study we conclude that the gender of the PE teacher plays a crucial role in whether a teacher choose to physically interact with their students or not. Societal norms have a great influence on PE teachers’ actions concerning intergenerational touch, which in this context cohere around no touch.