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DOI 10.14526/2070-4798-2018-13-4-65-72 The role and importance of physical culture in the life of convicts
Yuri M. Postnov, Lubov I. Kostyunina*
Ulyanov State Pedagogical University, Ulyanovsk, Russia Postnov.ulspu@mail.ru ORCID: 0000-0003-1551-6838, likost@mail.ru*
Abstract: Physical upbringing is one of components of the upbringing activity with convicts in the system of correctional institutions. Convicts' motives study of going in for different kinds of physical-sports activity, their need for physical development, axiological estimation of physical upbringing role and importance in personal development is the base for effective physical upbringing programs creation for convicts. These programs provide the objectives of resocialization realization. Research methods. Information sources analysis and summarizing, survey, pedagogical experiment, methods of mathematical statistics. Materials. The concept of correctional system development in the Russian Federation till 2020 concerns penal institutions reformation. It demands content approaches to the upbringing work organization among convicts renewal on the basis of new forms of pedagogical impact search and the existing forms development; the ideology change of the main correctional means use. Motivation study, the degree of convicts' axiological attitude revelation to physical culture, its role and importance understanding in the life of an individual provide the opportunity of objective information getting for physical-sports environment of a correctional institution (CI) organization. Results. The survey was held on the basis of specially created questionnaire. It included general questions, questions concerning healthy life style formation, questions concerning the attitude to physical culture revelation, the conditions estimation of physical-sports activity organization at CI. It is revealed that convicts with negative psychobehavioral characteristics are mostly young people. They are 18-30 years old (50%). In the group of positively characterized convicts this index is lower - 38%. The results prove the conclusion of other specialists that educational level of convicts is considerably lower, than educational level of law-abiding citizens. During the research we revealed the most favorable forms of physical-sports activity, convicts' health level, bad habits, the reasons for low effectiveness of physical-sports work at correctional institutions. Conclusion. The research results prove that most convicts, irrespective of the observed social-behavioral characteristics, attitude to the upbringing impact measures, are positively motivated for going in for different kinds of physical-sports activity. Physical culture as the means of upbringing influence is positively accepted by all convicts. It conditions the necessity to projects innovative approaches to its upbringing potential use for axiological attitude to own health, physical development, convicts' more successful social adaptation formation.
Keywords: motivation, healthy life style, convicts, correctional institutions, resocialization, physical-sports activity.
For citation: Yuri M. Postnov, Lubov I. Kostyunina. The role and importance of physical culture in the life of convicts. The Russian Journal of Physical Education and Sport. 2018; 13 (4): 56-61. DOI 10.14526/20704798-2018-13-4-65-72
Introduction
The effectiveness of the upbringing practice, resocialization problems solution among convicts are conditioned by the conditions of penal institution, created by officers social-cultural environment. It provides an optimal condition for a personal need formation for goal-setting, life attitudes transformation, connected with further life, both in a correctional institution and after release from custody. Physical upbringing is one of the upbringing activity components with convicts [2,3,6]. The upbringing practice demands scientifically substantiated approaches to its social cultural, axiological potential use in practice of convicts' resocialization. It demands innovative technologies organization on the basis of physical culture means. These physical culture means should be based on objective notion of healthy life style formation degree, on the needs of the individual for physical development. It is based on the role and importance of physical culture understanding during personal development process [4,5,7].
The aim of the research: to reveal the role and importance of physical culture in the life of convicts.
The objectives of the research:
- to study the peculiarities of convicts' axiological attitude to physical culture during life.
- to reveal the formation level of healthy life style components among convicts.
Methods and Organization
The following complex of research methods was used in the research:
- information sources study, analysis, systematization;
- pedagogical observation;
- survey methods;
- pedagogical experiment;
- methods of mathematical statistics.
The research period was since November, 2015 till May, 2016. In general, 276 convicts were examined. They were divided into 3 groups. Psychological information about convicts' personality, their behavior (following the regimen of custodial control at CI, the degree of involvement into upbringing events and others) were taken into account. Character of communicative connections with other convicts was also paid attention to (table 1).
Table 1 - Psychological-behavioral features characteristic of the groups of convicts
№ /№ Group of convicts Psychological-pedagogical characteristic
1. "Positive" Convicts, who have vivid positive social attitudes, characterized as a strong type of personality, have leadership skills. They have sufficiently high level of mental development, the skills of controlling emotions, steady personality structures, desire to realize organizational activity, motivation of aim achievement, the absence of aggression, a positive attitude to labor. They have the sense of social empathy. They are communicative, able to adapt quickly to environment.
2. "Neutral" Convicts have potentially positive social attitudes. They are conformal, are easy to influence on, don't have leadership skills. Characterological features of this group mainly correspond with the features of the first group. They have the following differences: exaggerated self-assessment, social naivety.
3. "Negative" Convicts with clear nonsocial attitudes, egocentrism, who are steadily inclined to violate the rules, with low social empathy, negative attitude to people around. They are inclined to drinking alcohol. It leads to not controlled aggression in behavior, antagonism against existing social norms, inability to regulate conflicts and cynicism.
Materials
Resocialization process at a correctional institution includes systematically organized upbringing activity. It is directed toward convicts' respectful attitude formation to a person, society, labor, norms, rules and traditions of living together, law-abiding behavior stimulation [1,2,3]. Physical culture means in the context of the considered problem give the opportunity to the research program of pedagogical influences organization. It takes into account physical-sports interests of convicts, needs for health and physical development improvement. The program, which will help to vary life at a correctional institution, achieve great upbringing effect in terms of unostentatious forms of influence on a convict's personality [9,10]. It is important to study a convict's personality. It conditions the opportunity to solve practical problems,
connected with correctional institution functioning: production teams staffing, the work of the most active members and circles organization and etc. [9]. A convict's personality study helps to reveal orientation, activity motives, intentional values formation. It helps to see the results of correction, the opportunities of disciplinary measures and incentives use, the terms of punishment serving change.
Results and Discussion
The attitude of all participants of penal environment study (Federal Correctional Service staff, convicts) to physical culture as the resocialization process component, the degree revelation of axiological attitude formation to physical culture, its role and importance understanding in the life of an individual provide the opportunity to get an objective information for physical-sports environment organization at a correctional institution. This opportunity provides convicts' physical development, health state improvement, their positive behavior model formation [11,12].
During the research we held the survey on the basis of specially created by us questionnaire. It included 4 blocks of questions: the first block included general questions; the second block included the questions concerning the level of healthy life style (HLS) estimation; the third block included the questions, which helped to reveal the attitude to physical culture lessons at CI and estimate its potential as resocialization means; the fourth block included the conditions estimation of physical-sports activity organization at CI.
The first block of questions was directed toward the differentiation peculiarities revelation among convicts according to age and the level of education. During the research we revealed, that 50% of negatively characterized convicts were young people at the age of 18-30; 44% of convicts were of a "neutral" group, 38% of respondents are positively characterized convicts (table 2).
Table 2 - Age composition and the level of education among convicts (%)
Questions of the questionnaire Groups of convicts
The 1st group "positive" (108 people) The 2nd group "neutral" (qo people) The 3rd group "negative" (78 people)
Aae ----- - - -
1. till 25 years old 20 13 10
2. 26-30 years old 18 31 40
3. 31-35 years old 27 19 20
4. 36-40 years old 17 19 15
5. 41-45 years old 11 11 15
6. 46 years old and older 6 7 0
Education
1. Secondary 39 38 50
2. Secondary-professional 43 53 20
3. Higher 16 5 5
4. Other (specify) 2 4 25
It corresponds with the research results of G.V. Shcherbakov (2002). He says that youth age in the first case is characterized by categorical forms of nonsocial interests, demands, negative attitude demonstration to the main correction means and resocialization, vivid demonstration of nonsocial position and nonsocial character of own life plans. In the second variant they wait and demonstrate both positive and negative motives of behavior and attitude to upbringing influences [11]. The group of positively characterized convicts is presented by convicts within the age range of 31-35 years old, or 28% of general number of the respondents. As the scientists mention, the convicts of this age group are easily adapted toward the demands of the regimen. They are actively involved into the upbringing events.
Education level is also very important in a personality's socially-positive qualities formation. It also conditions a personality's intellectual and cultural level, independency of aims setting and life reference
points formation. The group of positive orientation convicts is characterized by the greatest number of people. They have higher education - 16%; secondary-professional education have 43% of respondents; secondary education have 39% of respondents. A high level of education is a non-criminogenic factor. It provides convict's interests broadening, self- awareness and responsibility formation in society, close people. It is the typical feature of this group of convicts. Insufficient educational level restricts the opportunities of an individual in correct decisions making during communication with different groups of convicts, CI staff prevents socially-useful skills of behavior formation and strengthening. As the survey results show, 50% of "negative" orientation convicts are people with secondary education; 20% are people with secondary-professional education; 5% are people with higher education. 25% of convicts have unfinished secondary, secondary-professional education. Convicts of a "neutral" group mainly have secondary-professional education (53%) and secondary education (38%). Received by us results prove the results of earlier held research works. According to them educational level among convicts is lower, than among law-abiding citizen. The character of crimes is mainly conditioned by socially-demographic, social-role characteristics, psychological mindsets. Among them age and education level are the main ones.
The next block of questions is directed toward the level revelation of norms and demands of healthy life style perception by convicts, an individual experience of health protection level formation. Considerable differences were revealed in the indices of subjective (at the level of personal feelings of health state) and objective (medical check-up results) estimation of convicts' individual health with different characteristics of behavior. Almost all convicts have real notions of own health state: they include themselves into "almost healthy" group - 63-80%; have difficulties in own health state estimation - 10-11% of "positive" and "negative" orientation convicts, 20% of "neutral" orientation. 17% of "positive" convicts mention chronic diseases. At the same time, according to medical check-up, 20% of convicts have chronic diseases, 5% of convicts have disability. In "negative" group of convicts only 10% mention that they are not healthy. At the same time, in spite of young age, 10% of convicts already have disability status, 5% have chronic diseases. Convicts' problems with health are mainly connected with life conditions before prison, such as: unhealthy life conditions, neglect of hygienic requirements, no available medical check-up, fuzzy notion of "health-disease" state.
The problem of bad habits, connected with alcohol drinking didn't let to reveal real setting of this question. 62-80% of convicts mention, that they don't drink alcohol; 5-11% drink 1-2 times a week. The problem of alcohol drinking in terms of CI is considered as regimen violation. Nevertheless, convicts find the opportunity to drink alcohol even in CI. Many convicts think that smoking is the way to decrease psycho-emotional tension, stress. At the same time, they are sure it is the means of own psychic state activation and stimulation. That is why there are a lot of convicts, who smoke more than 1 pack of cigarettes every day (45-50% of respondents). 40% of convicts from "positive" group and 35% of convicts from "negative" group don't smoke at all.
As the experience of going in for physical culture and sport 42-55% of convicts mention obligatory physical culture lessons in the system of general, professional education; training lessons in sports sections, clubs (49-55% of convicts from "positive" and "neutral" orientation); different forms of independent physical-sports activity. Most convicts (78-90%) mention great importance of physical culture and sport for health state; 73-85% of convicts think physical culture and sport is the main means for health improvement. Only 30% of convicts from "negative" orientation consider physical-sports lessons optimal forms of leisure activity organization, personal development means, 10-12% of the respondents think, that physical-sports activity is "a waste of time".
As the leading factors, which provide health preservation, convicts mention the necessity to follow nutrition, labor and rest regimen - 56-75% of respondents; regular medical check-up - 47-50%; rejection of bad habits - 43-60%. At the same time 24% of "positive" convicts mention the necessity to use additional, non-traditional health improvement means.
During the research we revealed the most favorable forms of going in for physical culture for convicts. 22-305 of convicts take part in morning exercises fulfillment; 35-39% of convicts regularly go to sports circles, among them 45% of "positive" convicts, 35% of "negative" convicts. 15% of convicts from "negative" orientation have the need for individual achievements acknowledgement, authority self-affirmation. It conditions participation in important physical-sports events of a correctional institution. It should be noted that not stable participation in physical-sports events of this convicts group is only the way of life achievement variety at CI, personal ambitions satisfaction, own authority setting. More than third of convicts think that physical culture is one of the leisure forms and first of all want to get pleasure. 35-40% of convicts want to improve health by means of systematic trainings; 30% of convicts of "negative" orientation and 19% of "positive" group use physical-sports trainings in order to improve constitution.
The next block of questions is directed toward the convicts' attitude revelation to physical culture at CI, its opportunities estimation as resocialization means. 30% of "positive" convicts and 15% of "negative" convicts regularly go in for physical culture; 70% of convicts mention that if they had more free time or they had the opportunity to choose sports trainings, they would go in for different kinds of physical activity with pleasure in order to preserve and improve own health. Most of all convicts are interested in sports games (football, volleyball, table tennis, athletic kinds of gymnastics). 70-75% of convicts mention that mutual playing activity, training at a gym provide positive psycho-emotional state formation, aggression, conflicts decrease. It appears during everyday communication in the group. In the opinion of most convicts (6875% of the respondents), physical culture can be the opportunity to demonstrate own positive personal, communicative qualities (persistence, purposefulness, the ability to work in team and others). It will help in life, in society after release, in the sphere of professional self- determination. At the same time the opportunities of effective physical-sports trainings organization in terms of correctional institution are restricted enough. As the main factors they determine weak material-technical base and poor sports equipment; absence of specialists, trainers, who could competently organize physical-sports activity, realize methodical support; restricted diversity of kinds of sport; lack of stimulation forms and stimulation from administration, which could motivate convicts to go in for different kinds of sport. In general, 32-38% of "neutral" and "positive" convicts, 65% of "negative" convicts positively estimate physical-sports activity organization at a correctional institution.
The results of physical culture role and importance study in the life of convicts, healthy life style components formation, the place of physical culture in the system of upbringing work at a correctional institution prove that most convicts are positively motivated to going for different kinds of physical-sports activity, irrespective of the observed social-behavioral characteristics, attitude to upbringing means influence. They mention that physical culture is the most attractive form of leisure organization. It is means of health improvement and if physical-health improving, sports-mass work organization is at a high level, they are ready to go in for physical culture regularly.
Conclusion
Thus, physical-sports activity can be considered as an effective pedagogical means of influence on a personality. It is an axiological attitude formation to own health state, physical improvement, gaining experience of a positive communicative interaction, positively perceptible by all convicts. The problem of an effective physical-sports work organization at a correctional institution as the component of resocialization among convicts in the complex of upbringing influences demands the search for non-standard approaches. During the research we study the opportunity to solve this problem on the basis of net interaction between the specialists, convicts of correctional institutions in the Ulyanovsk region, on the one hand, students, physical culture and sport department teachers from Ulyanov State Pedagogical University, Ulyanovsk on the other hand [4]. The opportunity of scientific-methodical maintenance of physical-sports work at a correctional institution, system realization of mutual physical-sports activity, socially-oriented projects
with students-athletes, volunteers, teachers should create pre-conditions for effectiveness of this direction of upbringing work increase.
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Submitted: 19.10.2018 Author's information:
Yuri M. Postnov - Lecturer, Ulyanov State Pedagogical University, Ulyanovsk, Russia, the 100 Anniversary of V.I. Lenin's Birth Square, House 4, e-mail: Postnov.ulspu@mail.ru Lubov I. Kostyunina* - Doctor of Pedagogics, professor, Ulyanov State Pedagogical University, Ulyanovsk, Russia, the 100 Anniversary of V.I. Lenin's Birth Square, House 4, e-mail: likost@mail.ru*
