The embodiment of equitable ways to develop agentic wellbeing through movement maximizing personal and general spaces-re-tooling affordances as drivers of social justice

Abstract

This paper explores physical affordances—features and practices supporting activity—and scrutinizes their accessibility to promote principle-led equity in movement. By examining how being active underpins capabilities essential for living well, a holistic perspective on using ‘self-space’ and surrounding space is presented. In line with the World Health Organization’s (2021) mandate for fairness in physical activity programming, a justice-oriented leadership approach across health and education is emphasized. The application of JEDI principles (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) to physical movement highlights constructs of autonomy and agency, enabling individuals to make choices and act to invoke change (Virenque and Mossio, 2024). The concept of ‘constraints’ is extended from therapeutic roots (Taub et al., 1993) to adaptive movement facilitation (Newell, 1986). Constraints-informed pedagogies enhance embodied learning, fostering autonomy through interactive movement generation in physical education (Renshaw and Chow, 2018). Being well is understood as a composite of physical, cognitive, and emotional health—is recognized as a complex yet integral construct (Spratt, 2016; Ryff, 2014). Physical activity is shown to significantly influence health behaviours, encompassing mental and physical wellbeing (Liu et al., 2024). Aligning with Education Scotland’s curricular policy (2023) this paper adopts the term ‘wellbeing’. It remains critically aware of tensions across educational policy agendas as regards the genuine wellbeing of children (Spratt, 2017). As such it offers means for agency development so that children are enabled to seek sustainable means to enjoy healthy active living.