AN ANALYSIS OF IMPOLITENESS STRATEGIES IN 2024 INDONESIAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

(A PRAGMATIC STUDY)

Abstract

This study aims to reveal how Indonesian presidential candidates use Impoliteness Strategies and how these strategies impact their public image. The data was taken from the three presidential debates that took place on 12 December 2023, 7 January 2024, and 4 February 2024. The theoretical framework employed for the analysis is the impoliteness strategies by Culpeper (1996) and the impoliteness strategies function by Culpeper (2011). The types of impoliteness strategies are bald-on-record impoliteness, positive impoliteness, negative impoliteness, sarcasm or mock politeness, and withhold politeness. The functions are affective function, coercive function, and entertaining function. This study found that all five types of impoliteness strategies occur in the debates. These strategies are bald-on-record impoliteness, positive impoliteness, negative impoliteness, off-record impoliteness, and withhold politeness. However, the frequency of each type varies. Positive and negative impoliteness are the most frequently used strategies, occurring 5 times out of 13 instances. On the other hand, the functions of impoliteness strategies. Moreover, only two of three functions appear throughout the debate. Coercive impoliteness is the most frequently used function in the debates, occurring 11 times out of 13 instances and affective impoliteness only appears 2 times out of 13 instances.