When Will EPs Get It?
Recently, I’ve been reading the William Greider’s book, Who Will Tell The People: The Betrayal of American Democracy. I was taken by the similarities between “the betrayal of democracy” and “the betrayal of a college education.” No one wants to believe that people in America are purposely manipulating what we think is democracy. This is exactly how I feel about a college education. It should have integrity, and it should never be manipulated to benefit a select group of people. Unfortunately, for the American public and students at large, betrayal is fully operationalized in many academic institutions. Even today, after nearly a decade of personal study of American exercise science, it is difficult to believe it continues.
My difficulty stems not from the role of those with an agenda to maintain status quo, but rather the fact that all others simply allow it to happen. Everyone knows what is going on! Ever heard of the American College of Sports Medicine? This isn’t a new question. It is all about politics.
Given the disturbing fact that, although the ASEP leaders tried to work with the leaders of ACSM on numerous occasions, they were always demanding. A climate of “do it our way or not at all” was always demoralizing to ASEP leaders. The things we had hoped for and still wish to believe could happen are stagnant in a reality that favors the politics of sports medicine.
This dissonance between what is and what could be is discomforting. As a result, many exercise physiologists turn away from seriously considering the American Society of Exercise Physiologists and its efforts to professionalize exercise physiologists. ASEP is no longer a new organization. It was founded in 1997. So, to argue “whatever” about it no longer makes sense. To be reluctant to join makes no sense either. To argue that it is understandable not to be a member of ASEP, given its vision and/or mission statements, is not only a waste of time but is contempt for exercise physiology.
The issue that is difficult for me is the politics. Hard to grasp, yet understandable to a degree. Thus, the things that continue to confuse me are the dysfunctions in organizational politics. The dysfunctions are continually dismissed as normal reactions to keeping everything the same. But, of course, behind the politics is a shared belielf to keep ASEP from emerging as an important organization.
Students are caught in the drama. They are actually being manipulated to function as sports medicine would have them to do. Why? There are many reasons. One reason is the power decision to keep exercise physiology as a research discipline. After all, many of the research presentations at the annual sports medicine meeting are presented by exercise physiologists.
The doctorate prepared exercise physiologists ought to respond as other professionals have in regards to the best interest of their profession. Far too few have done so, however. They tend to their own self-interest and, in so doing, the failure to address the issues and concerns of exercise physiology, they have managed to fail in shaping the future of their students.
In place of a meaningful approach to the professional development of exercise physiology, the political community of sports medicine and exercise science has embraced a permissive culture of false beliefs about exercise physiology. The students are missing from the processes of academic and professional development. Disconnected from the larger healthcare community, students suffer from the lack of planning and career development. The result is confusion and, at times, a genuine sense of despair.
Helping students understand this reflexive pattern of power realities should help them learn the importance of self-development. The results, as everyone knows, when this happens are 90% positive. Until then, what will it take for exercise physiologists to get with the program?