“Educar, más que entrenar”. Un análisis etnográfico de actividades físicas para madres en un espacio educativo municipal de la ciudad de Córdoba, Argentina

The study examines, from a socio-anthropological perspective, the gender relations that unfold in sports activities at a Municipal Educational Park in the city of Córdoba, Argentina, focusing on the meanings, relationships, and tensions in knowledge transmission. Through an ethnographic study of the “training for mothers” classes, we reconstruct the perspectives of female employees, teachers, and assistants on the relationship between gender and sports. Our analysis considers physical activity as an educational practice, emphasizing the ways knowledge is transmitted, the focus on participants’ health care, and the sociability among women that emerges from their involvement. We argue that physical activities in the context of a Municipal Educational Park not only shape ways of embodying gender and bodies but also reinforce citizen participation and the role of women-mothers. Finally, we reflect on the role of sports and the Park in local community dynamics, highlighting the value of ethnographic approaches to studying state practices.