Till Örebro universitet

In this article we problematize equity as inclusion and make a theoretical argument about rightful presence for the 'fat body' in PE. We argue that equity as inclusion is based on a guest/host power dynamic and a 'culture of hospitality' that comes with it. This argument rests on the assumption that inclusion involves a host who represents and safeguards the norms, values, and power structures of the community, welcoming the guest into that community. The host, in this context the institutional (cultural and material) conditions that constitute PE, will control the guests by the rights extended to them, rights that at any moment can be withdrawn. This creates a guest-host power dynamic by which students that do not fit the usual standards of PE will always be 'other', and their rights of presence and participation will always be conditioned.By introducing the concept of rightful presence, we hope to contribute to a debate on the inclusion of the 'fat body' in PE. In developing this argument, we re-analyze Cat Paus & eacute;'s story as described in her article (Paus & eacute;, C. [2019]. (Can we) get together? Fat kids and physical education. Health Education Journal, 78(6), 662-669) and use the situations she describes as a hypothetical example and an illustration to discuss what exclusion, inclusion, and rightful presence, respectively, mean for fat kids in PE.We argue that rightful presence can function as a fruitful and vital concept in research and pedagogical practice in that it encourages scholars and educators to recognize the right of all students to be fully present and to have the same rights as everyone else. It also helps us to ask new questions from a different perspective regarding, in this case, the rightful presence of fat bodies in PE.