PAN-AMERICANISM, THE PAN-AMERICAN CONGRESSES OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF INEZIL PENNA MARINHO (1943–1950)

Abstract

The objective of study was to analyze the actions of Professor Inezil Penna Marinho at the Pan-American Congress of Physical Education during its first three editions, from 1943 to 1950. As sources, we used an extensive set of materials produced during the initial editions of the event, consisting of the “Memoirs,” as well as letters consulted from Inezil Penna Marinho’s personal archive. In research focused on the networks established in these congresses and the professor’s role as a “mediating intellectual,” an interpretation of the debate on Physical Education from a transnational perspective was developed—one that highlights appropriation, negotiation, and exchange within the cultural field. The study concluded that, through the ideals of Pan-Americanism, the Pan-American Congress of Physical Education served as a space for the sharing of knowledge and practices from various American countries. Within this context, Inezil gained greater recognition and used this prominent position, along with the relationships built in this space, to disseminate his work and other publications in the field of Physical Education that circulated in Brazil throughout the Americas.