Abstract

This study traced the emergence of Eastern thought and practice in contemporary American physical education from 1953 to 1989. The study aimed: to examine Eastern concepts expressed in the literature of American physical education and sport published during this period, to identify to what extent Eastern thought and practice have emerged, and how they affect the direction of contemporary American physical education, and to suggest directions in American physical education, should these Eastern forms and practices become more fully integrated. ;To familiarize the reader with essential Eastern theory and practice, Chapter II briefly described Eastern philosophies, including fundamental notions from Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Zen. The world view these ideas amplify was related to physical education and sport. ;Chapter III traced the emergence of Eastern concepts in American physical education and sport. Three distinctive acculturation stages were considered: acquaintance, appropriation, and transformation. In the course of these three stages, Eastern ideas and approaches were introduced, pragmatically adapted, and creatively synthesized, leading to an emergence of new theoretical orientations, alternatives to traditional Western paradigms. ;A review of a growing body of literature suggested that Eastern theories and practices have emerged in the areas of philosophy, pedagogy, objectives and curricula, and training methods in physical education and sport. The review revealed that an increasing number of physical educators have linked the nature, methods, and content of American physical education to Eastern concepts and practices. ;Chapter IV attempted to identify to what extent Eastern thought and practices have emerged in contemporary American physical education. This emergence of Eastern thoughts and practices seemed varied and extensive, involving a change of attitude, methods, and content to traditional American theories and practices. ;Because Eastern thought and practices continue to emerge, the consequences for American physical education are not entirely clear. Passing through a distinctive "acculturation process" in different environmental and intellectual settings, Eastern ideas and practices have contributed to the evolution of American physical education and sport over the past three decades. But many examples of Eastern thought and practice are still in the early stages of development in the West, and thus their merit has not been thoroughly established in American physical education. Nevertheless, Eastern thought and practice are contributing to a new paradigm for American physical education and sport. These contributions may help direct the evolution of physical education and sport in the twenty-first century