Journal of Literary Criticism

Journal of Literary Criticism

Judo as a Cultural Language: An Ethnic Inquiry through Emic Approach

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Department of English Translation, ST.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of English Teaching and Translation, Karaj Islamic Azad University, Alborz, Iran.
10.22034/jlc.2025.546188.1769
Abstract
Judo, as an eastern sport that emphasizes individual moral values, also encompasses social dimensions and merits significant scholarly attention. This research seeks to explore the profound cultural aspects of Judo through an ethnographic examination employing an emic approach. The nature of this study is primarily quantitative. The research sample consist of professional judokas, coaches, and referees from Iran. Participants include both male and female judokas in the adult age group, as well as coaches and referees who are national, Asian and world certificates. The adequacy of the sample size was determined using table formula of Krejcie and Morgan, thereby ensuring the validity and reliability of the study. The cultural elements examined in judo include: Rei (the tradition of bowing) two cases, personal cleanliness such as attire and nails as well as tradition of hygiene (two cases), competition and its social regulations (one case), and Judo-specific rules and practices (one case). The findings indicate that Judo is not merely a sport but also a semantic system, in which its symbols embody a distinctive moral and social philosophy that transcends time and place.
Keywords
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 30 November 2025

  • Receive Date 09 September 2025
  • Revise Date 15 November 2025
  • Accept Date 22 November 2025