Symbolic art: Integration of physical and emotional education in Chile.

Emotions & Education: How Chile Shaped the Mind-Body Connection (1900-1950)

Reese Marlowe in Mind & Education June 2025 • 5 min read.

"Uncover Chile's historical journey into integrating emotional and physical development in education during a transformative era."

In June 1872, Domingo Grez, a fifth-year humanities student at the National Institute in Chile, was overcome by anger. According to a report submitted to the Ministry of Public Instruction, conflicts between students and inspectors had been escalating, disrupting the strict order expected in the country's leading secondary education institution. Domingo felt something give way inside him, breaking the barriers of restraint he had been taught. Perhaps not fully in control, he unleashed insults against the inspector, Lindor Frías, uttering abusive words and threats, even exclaiming, 'I’ll kill you!' while clenching his fists (Toro Blanco, 2009, p. 425).

The anger manifested in both words and physical expression: clenched, threatening fists that faithfully reflected his inner state. However, the threat remained just that, and Domingo's fists eventually returned to the soft, youthful palms that his teachers and inspectors would sometimes strike with a glove—a type of small whip used to punish student misbehavior.

This incident of youthful anger would be filed away, becoming part of the repertoire of events deemed worthy of informing the authorities. As an exceptional case, it would be interpreted through a lens of youthful nature, suggesting to the adults in charge that Domingo was a victim (though not entirely innocent) of the latent 'evil spirit' within him and his peers, which educators sought to subdue. They were aided by a collection of manuals emphasizing the appropriate (political or apparent, as it was also said) use of the body within the conceptual framework of urbanity. This destructive force required combat, according to the categories of the time, with discipline and the cultivation of will.

How Did Chile's Education System Evolve to Value Emotional and Physical Well-being?

Symbolic art: Integration of physical and emotional education in Chile.

The episode of Domingo's anger, as well as Rector Fierro's view on the moralizing value of physical exercise, are part of a historical phenomenon—the relationship between body and education—that has seen a healthy renewal in Chile in recent years (Martínez Fernández, 2011; Durán, 2014; Serrano; Ponce de León; Rengifo, 2012). This is partly due to the growing scientific interest in the body, which found a privileged setting, like a laboratory, in the school environment. Consequently, school records became one of the most systematic sources for national historiography, which is generally interested in the body (Rojas Flores, 2009, p. 117).

Much of the attention has been primarily directed toward the most explicit interface between body and teaching: physical education, which has been understood as a curricular device aimed at normalizing childhood. The process of establishing physical education as a pedagogically legitimate field in the country reached key milestones in the last decades of the 19th century and the first of the 20th.

Hygiene and Health: The Chilean approach incorporated health and hygiene for the youth, mirroring a 'criollo' version of 'volkgeist.' This focus aligned with broader hygiene movements addressing societal health issues amid widespread poverty.
Combating Social Ills: Physical education was seen as a tool to combat social problems by improving the population's health and facilitating national growth (Martínez Fernández, 2011, p. 102).
Paramilitary Influence: Guillermo Martínez, a physical education inspector, promoted paramilitary forms of youth physical education, such as the Tiro Escolar (Toro Blanco, 2016, p. 83). His views reflected a shift towards scientific perspectives over moralistic ones, emphasizing the psychological effects of exercise.

Martínez believed that exercises and psychological activities strengthened a child's will and character, which were then applied practically in life (Martínez, 1916, p. 56-57). This perspective marked a transition where physical activity was not just an emotional outlet but a tool for developing psychological attributes. By the 1930s, this educational discourse evolved further, integrating physical exercise with the psychological and emotional dimensions of students.

The Evolving Landscape of Chilean Education

Through this brief overview, it's evident that the relationship between body, emotion, and education has undergone significant re-articulations. Initially, student emotions were to be suppressed or rationally directed through physical activities, preferably in a hygienic and patriotic manner. Over time, visions expanded, viewing physical education in symbiotic relation with emotional aspects. This shift, while not fully hegemonic, showcased a growing openness to integrating psychological insights into physical education. This integration, intensifying since the professional establishment of physical education in Chile at the beginning of the 20th century, experienced oscillations based on the prevailing focus on health or patriotism, influencing the educational objectives for young students' bodies.

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This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1590/cc0101-32622018177807, Alternate LINK

Title: De Fortificar La Voluntad A Desarrollar La Personalidad: Cuerpo Y Emociones En La Educación Chilena (C.1900-C.1950)

Subject: Education

Journal: Cadernos CEDES

Publisher: FapUNIFESP (SciELO)

Authors: Pablo Toro Blanco

Published: 2018-04-01

Everything You Need To Know

How did the Chilean education system change its approach to student development between 1900 and 1950?

The Chilean education system between 1900 and 1950 underwent a transformation from strict disciplinary methods to approaches integrating emotional and physical well-being. This evolution involved normalizing childhood through physical education, viewing it as a tool to combat social ills, improve public health, and foster national growth. Figures like Guillermo Martínez advocated for paramilitary physical education and emphasized the psychological effects of exercise, marking a transition toward using physical activity to cultivate psychological attributes and character development.

How did educators perceive and manage student emotions, as illustrated by Domingo Grez's incident, in the early 20th century?

The episode involving Domingo Grez highlights early 20th-century perceptions of student emotions. Domingo's outburst was interpreted through the lens of a latent 'evil spirit' needing subdual through discipline and will cultivation. Educators used manuals emphasizing bodily control within urbanity. While this specific incident resulted in disciplinary action, it underscores the initial approach of suppressing emotions rather than understanding or integrating them into the educational process.

What role did physical education play in shaping Chilean youth during the late 19th and early 20th centuries?

Physical education in Chile became pedagogically legitimate from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, focusing on normalizing childhood. This involved hygiene and health initiatives reflecting a 'criollo' version of 'volkgeist,' aligning with broader hygiene movements. It also served as a paramilitary influence through figures like Guillermo Martínez, promoting youth physical education forms like the Tiro Escolar. This paramilitary influence reflected a shift towards scientific perspectives over moralistic ones, underlining the psychological impact of exercise.

Who was Guillermo Martínez, and how did he influence the integration of physical and psychological development in Chilean education?

Guillermo Martínez contributed to Chilean education by promoting paramilitary forms of physical education like the Tiro Escolar and shifting the focus from moralistic views to scientific perspectives on exercise. Martínez believed that physical and psychological activities could strengthen a child's will and character, which could then be applied practically in life. This perspective helped to integrate physical activity not just as an emotional outlet but as a tool for developing key psychological attributes, shaping the educational discourse by the 1930s.

To what extent was the integration of psychological insights into physical education fully embraced in Chile, and what factors influenced its implementation?

The integration of psychological insights into physical education in Chile, while present, experienced oscillations depending on the prevailing focus on health or patriotism. This evolution wasn't fully hegemonic, meaning it wasn't universally adopted or consistent across all educational practices. The educational objectives for young students' bodies were influenced by whether the primary emphasis was on health-related outcomes or promoting patriotic values, leading to variations in how physical education was implemented and its impact on students' emotional and physical development.