Exploring communitarianism in South Korean elite sports: A grounded theory approach

Abstract

This study examines how community-centered training culture shaped by Korean cultural characteristics contributes to athletic performance, psychological stability, and ethical identity formation among elite athletes. Using a grounded theory approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 Korean elite athletes, and data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding procedures. The core category was identified as the transformation of extrinsic motivation into intrinsic motivation and the formation of communal identity through communitarian-based interaction. Findings show that training infrastructure, emotional and psychological stability resources, verbal encouragement practices, and intergenerational transmission structures interact to facilitate motivation internalization and ethical agency. Culturally specific mechanisms such as jeong-mediated we-ness and residential training practices strengthen communal cohesion, supporting both sustained high-intensity training and performance development. This study clarifies the structural mechanisms of community-centered training culture in Korean elite sport and highlights its sociological, psychological, and ethical significance.