Which in the list below is botanically (or scientifically) a…

Questions

Which in the list belоw is bоtаnicаlly (оr scientificаlly) a vegetable?

Cоre Questiоn: Yоu’re being interviewed for а tenure-trаck position аt “Wassamata U.” (WU). As part of the interview/hiring process you need to offer a vision for your teaching, research and service. You want to lay out a vision akin to the “Active Pals” program here at MSU. How can these three readings help you do so? Write an argument/rationale for how and why WU should buy into and fund (via a startup package) your vision for providing physical activity (PA) opportunities for people with special needs. In doing so, reference each of the three texts in support of your rationale (why what you’re doing is needed and important) and your plan (what you’re going to do when and why).(For instance, SCT might be valuable for understanding volunteers, SDT might inform program design, the “What is Success?” section of Twietmeyer & Johnson might help explain why PA is fundamentally human.) In short, offer a principled rationale and plan to develop and grow a Special Needs PA program that will convince the Dean to hire you and fund (via startup) your research and service goals. Feedback from Dr. Twietmeyer: This needs to be revised. You've successfully offered a rationale but have not offered any plan for what you're going to do, or why you're going to do it. Please revise and make sure to cite the theoretical basis of your practical steps (e.g. Letting dancers choose music to dance to might fit with autonomy, consistent volunteer pairings might create relatedness...etc.). Your Previous Answer: Kinesiology is seen as a practical science, a pragmatic discipline that focuses on efficiency, elite skills, and measureable outcomes. However, kinesiology as a discipline does not operate in a vaccuum there are deep philosophical assumptions underneath these choices. Drawing on Aristotle's idea of eduamonia, self-determination theory, social cognitive theory, and Twietmeyer and Johnson's critique of meritocracy, I argue that movement is a fundamental human right tied to well being and flourishing. However, in the current kinesiology landscape movement is treated more as a reward for excellence. Furthermore, my years of training in exercise science and disability studies have helped me recognize some of the current patterns of funding, programming, and evaluation that I believe exclude most people.  I rely on Aristotle's idea of eudaimonia for this claim, he does not define human flourishing as prestige, dominance over other, or external success. On the contrary Aristotle believed that a good life is achieved through actualization of one's capacities over time. According to Aristotle excellence is relative to one's own life and circumstances. Similarly, movement is relative to one's circumstances, everyone has the fundamental right to draw intrinsic meaning out of their life by having the agency to enagage in activities. This idea challenges the current funding patterns that prioritize elite sports and underfund programs for special populations essentially depriving them of the right to move. Ryan et al., (2013) further develop Aristotle's idea of human flourishing by showing evidence that satisfaction of basic needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are universally conducive to human well being. This sense of well being is not and should not be dependent on elite achievements.  Social contexts, inlcuding adapted physical activity programs, therefore must support these basic needs. My vision for Active Pals, an adapted dance program for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), is grounded in self determination theory and social cognitive theory. We have empirical evidence that satisfaction of basic psychological needs infact leads to a decrease in extrinsic and controlled forms of motivation, inlcining participants towards more autonomous forms of motivation. This is valuable insight because Aristotle's idea of good life emphasizes the value of human agency, autonomy, and volition. These are foundational to self actualizaton and realization of a good life. My vision for Active Pals takes into consideration not only the participants with ID but also volunteers who will be working with them. This idea is grounded in social cognitive theory and virtue ethics. Bandura (1986) identified that self-efficacy is developed through processes like vicarious learning, and mastery experiences. Within volunteers this can be studied in the context of virtue development. Does observing others, their peers, volunteer for an adapted physical activity program lead to an increased desire for them to volunteer as well? I focus on virtue because focusing on ideas like mastery experience and self efficacy alone can reduce an individual's value to an outcome producing being. Therefore, I believe that there needs to a change in how we view physical activity and whom we believe is worthy of movement and virtue.  Most of the adapted physical activity programs fall victim to the meritocracy trap. Twietmeyer and Johnson (2022) argue that kinesiology funding patterns prioritize elite performance, dispropotionate amount of funds go towards football programs and it is justified in the light of excellence, efficiency, and prestige; as all of these are viewed as self-validating goods. This serves a small proportion of the elite skilled population at one extreme of the curve. In comparison, the middle of the bell curve that includes everyone else with mid-level skills including individuals with ID go underserved and underfunded. This funding logic is not accidental, it follows the assumption that movement must be earned with prestige, movement only matters when it produces winners. As a result it sets the dangerous precedent where adapted physical activity programs, that serve populations who struggle with independent movement, remain underfunded.  I view it as an ethical failure which has lead to the distinction between life skills and performance skills. If we view reading and writing as foundational skills that are taught to every human being and are not gatekept for the elite scholars and writers then why do we treat movement competence differently? I see movement competence as bodily literacy. Movement should not be limited to a select few elite professionals and should be understood as necessary for human flourishing. For special populations like individials with ID movement and activity are meaningful not becauase they bring any prestige or accolades but because they offer safety, coordination, confidence, and the ability to engage with every day life.  In conclusion, I don't see kinesiolofy merely as a performance science. To me kinesiology is a moral practice. The decisions made regarding funding, programming, and evaluation determine who has a right to move and what counts as success. If movement in a fundamental human right paramount for human well being, self acctualization, and flourishing then as kinesiology professionals I believe we all have the ethical responsibility to make movement accessible. We need to prioritize safety, dignity, and confidence over rewards and prestige of winning. The true measure of a successful kinesiologist is not how many champions he produces but how well he enables everyone to move and live.