Summary of Research
This study is on moral judgment and behavior based on Stevenson’s emotivism from meta-ethical view regarding how adolescents can make moral judgment and end up with moral behavior through sports activity. Stevenson’s emotivism is ...
Summary of Research
This study is on moral judgment and behavior based on Stevenson’s emotivism from meta-ethical view regarding how adolescents can make moral judgment and end up with moral behavior through sports activity. Stevenson’s emotivism is a study on moral judgment and behavior based on emotivist theory that uses language analysis as number one tool to evaluate ethics as expression of emotions and behaviors. It also tried to change other people’s emotion and behavior through language skills such as direction, command, and persuasion, rather than reflective thought required by normative ethics. Moreover, moral judgment based on Stevenson’s emotivism includes not only descriptive meaning but emotional meaning also. It portrays the characteristic of language, and investigates the power of cause-and-effect nature through the relationship between attitude and opinion. Hence, moral behaviors and conversations between sports leaders and colleagues during sport activities to find the logic behind how adolescents at sport scenes make moral decisions and act accordingly. In-depth interview were conducted on coaches regarding guidance education through language.
As a result of observation and interviews, first, the character of the leaders and coaches mattered the most. Adolescents changed based on who they have as their leaders and coaches, and therefore, the character of theses coaches mattered. A coach must be upright and coherent, so he/she could become a guiding light to the students. Adolescents may attain moral behaviors by following and mimicking the coach’s character and behaviors. Second, smooth communication between students and coach is a must. Tone, gesture, looks, and expression of the coach should be able to control and warn students’ deviation, and build rules of communication between them. Such intention provides not only implication but command also for adolescents to change their behaviors. Hence, this relationship between the coach and students appear in sympathy, and yield positive results through persuasion. Third, command of a coach requires linguistic skills as a process of task execution. Choice of words, high and low of sound, intensity can be used to guide adolescents and control their behaviors. Unspoken commands through body language could be even more effective than persuasion through spoken words of ethics. Lastly, expression of emotions of individual students is inevitable in their relationship with each other, and such behavior not only affects the result of competition but also relates to one’s moral inclination. A coach could carefully seek to change students’ behaviors by setting up simple rules, and using symbolic languages such as whistles to have them participate.
Therefore, we must acknowledge the fact that emotivism, beside traditional ethical views that are based on reason, reflective thinking, and habit, is the structure that leads adolescents to moral judgment and behavior. In modern sports world where it is all about winning, sports activity of adolescents can teach them reflective thinking, reason, good habit, good character, control over emotions.
On the other hand, criticism on Stevenson’s emotivism calls out subjectivity of the coach’s commands that could originate from selfishness. Nevertheless, Stevenson’s emotivism has great significance in that it can change moral judgment and behavior of adolescents doing sports activities through the power of language.