| The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of Taekwondo practitioners with regard to their character development (internalization of virtues) and living the virtues of Taekwondo in daily life. This study was framed by social learning theory and ecological systems theory to add to the understanding of how processes of social learning promote character development took place in one particular environmental niche over time, and whether and how virtues were transferred into other areas of life. The participants for this study were 10 adult senior-ranking Taekwondo practitioners from five Taekwondo schools in Hawaii, and as adults, were assumed to articulate experiences more accurately than younger practitioners and to have occupied more ecological niches than school-aged children, and senior ranking Taekwondo practitioners were assumed to have had prolonged exposure to this sport and its underlying philosophy. Based on an analysis of each of the narratives of 10 participants and a composite thematic analysis, findings suggested that individuals who have been involved in Taekwondo have indeed experienced positive character development, and further, that the participants have in their own individual ways, transferred the tenets in varying degrees into some of the other life-worlds they occupy. For the purposes of this study, Taekwondo was defined as a culture in its own right, with a set of values exemplified in the five tenets of this sport, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, and indomitable spirit, and rules and expectations for actions and behaviors. Findings of this study further suggested that instructors, who embody the tenets of Taekwondo in both their actions and behaviors and their creation of cultures and climates in their respective dojangs, were perceived to be conducive to the development of positive character traits in those who practice this sport. As such, the culture of Taekwondo could become a model for other ecological niches, such as schools, organizations, or businesses to create cultures and climates, which promote strong values and subsequently ethical and moral actions and behaviors, and to help minimize the many ethical scandals that have permeated many of today’s environments. |
