CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes background of the study, problem of the Study, objective of the study,

significance of the study, and definition of key terms.

1.1 Background of Study

Politeness have been heavily debated notions in sociolinguistic research. It is usually defined as

abstract terms, referring to a wide variety of social interaction across cultures. Grundy defines

politeness as: “the term we use to describe the extent to which actions, including the way things

are said, match addressees’ perceptions of how they should be performed” (Grundy 2000, cited

in Bloomer, Griffiths & Merrison 2005: 111). Politeness can be shown in some ways: linguistic

or verbal communications and non-linguistically or body language.

Politeness became an area of interest in linguistics with the 1973 publication of Lakoff’s article

entitled “The logic of politeness; or minding your p’s and q’s” (cited in Leech, 1983). In her

view (1975, p.64; in Watts, 2003) "politeness is developed by societies in order to reduce friction

in personal interaction". The theory descents directly from Austin’s (1962) speech act theory and

Gricean conversational maxims (cf. Leech, 1983). It should be underlined that linguistic

politeness is not the same as everyday understanding of politeness, i.e. manners or etiquette.

Lakoff’s (1973) ideas of politeness were further developed by Brown and Levinson (1978;

reissued in 1987). Their theory had in its Centre the concept of face (a public self-image),

originally presented in the work of Erving Goffman (1955, 1959). Face, in his view, is located

not in an individual, but “in the flow of events in the encounter’’ (1955, p. 214), which puts the

emphasis on social interactions. Conversely, Brown and Levinson (1987, p. 13) understood

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politeness as “a complex system for softening face threats”. In their view face is an abstract,

universal concept consisting of two types of desires (“face-wants”): negative and positive face.

Negative face can be understood as a “desire to be unimpeded in one’s actions”, whereas positive

face is “a desire (in some respects) to be approved of” (Brown & Levinson, 1987, p. 13).

The idea of face combines some basic notions present in each culture, such as: social hierarchy,

religious concepts, honor or virtue. According to Brown and Levinson, these concepts are

prevalent around the globe, however, are subject to cultural influences. Underlying politeness

principles remain the same, but their application varies across subcultures, categories, and

groups. Politeness is the simplest way to achieve social order and avoid losing a face. Although

Brown and Levinson believed that politeness is universal, they also acknowledged that what is

considered as polite can differ between the groups, situations, and individuals.

This paper reviews about the term of measurement of politeness level in Malang. The concern of

this paper is Javanese language that becomes the subject of measurements. The use of Javanese

language can measure level politeness level because the culture influences that mentioned in

Brown and Levinson theory. The researcher focus on this subject because the researcher wants to

know more about the level of politeness in Malang using Javanese language as subject of

research to measure itself. People in Malang are using Javanese language as his first language in

terms of conversation with Javanese people. They are common to use Javanese language in their

daily life. Therefore it makes the people in Malang right to become the area of this research.

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1.2 Problem of The Study

Based on the background of study presented above, this study is organizing to answer the

following questions:

1. What the researcher wants to put politeness as his the researcher subject?

2. What methods are used in this research?

3. How the researcher is going to take this research?

1.3 Objective of The Study

Based on the problems of the study that is mentioned above, there are three purposes that the

researcher is going to take in this research:

1. To measure level of politeness in Malang with using Javanese language as the subject

research.

2. To find out the character Javanese language that is used in Malang. What if people in

Malang is using “Ngoko”, “Kromo Madya”, and “Kromo Inggil”.

3. To approve a proverb in Java “further to the east the more polite its language”.

1.4 Significance of The Study

The study is expected to give valuable contribution to the followings:

1 The English Department

This study is expected to give a contribution to the students of English Department, especially

those who major in Linguistics. This study can give more information about sociolinguistics,

especially politeness measurement.

2 The Writer

This study is expected to give contribution for the writer in getting information about

sociolinguistic and Javanese language itself in around Malang.

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3 The Reader

The result of the study is expected to give information to the readers in understanding the use of

politeness and how to apply the theory Brown and Levinson.

1.5 Definition of Key Terms

There are some important terms in this study. Therefore it is necessary for the researcher to give

definition of key terms, namely:

Politeness : an integral part of life in any human society (Brown and Levinson)

Javanese language : language that is used Javanese people in Indonesia as their daily life

language.

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 CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Sociolinguistic

According to Wardhaugh (2006, p. 10), we must acknowledge that a language is

essentially a set of items, Hudson (as cited in Wardhaugh, 2006) calls ‘linguistics items’, such

entities as sounds, words, grammatical structures. We should note that in doing so we are trying

to relate two different kinds of entities in order to see what light they throw on each other. That is

not an easy task. Based on the explanation above, we then need to be aware in distinguishing

linguistic items regarding to the various point studied in sociolinguistics.

In this distinction, sociolinguistics is concerned with investigating the relationships between

language and society with the goal being a better understanding of the structure of language and

how of languages function in communication (Wardhaugh, 2006, p. 13). While Yule in The

Study of Language (2010, p. 314), defines Sociolinguistics as the study of the relationship

between language and society.

2.2 Politeness

Politeness itself is socially prescribed. We must always be polite or we may be quite

impolite to others on occasion. Impoliteness depends on the existence of standards or norms of

politeness. Politeness itself also comes from the concept of Goffman’s original work (1995,

1967) on “face”. In social interaction we present a face to others and to other faces. According to

Scollon (2001): “One of the most important ways in which we reduce the ambiguity of

communication is by making assumptions about the people we are talking to” (p. 44). And: “We

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have to carefully project a face for ourselves and to respect the face rights and claims of the other

participants…”There is no faceless communication” (p. 48).

When we interact with others we must be aware both kinds of positive politeness or

negative politeness. According to Geertz (1960, p. 248) says “It is nearly impossible to say

anything without indicating the social relationship between the speaker and the listener in terms

of status and familiarity”. He also says that before Javanese speaks to another, he must decide on

an appropriate speech style or styleme. There are three classes, high, middle, and low in Geertz’s

terminology.

2.3 Javanese Language

Javanese language is a local language in Indonesia and especially it is used in East Java

and Central Java (Muharto, 2004). We know that Javanese is the mother tongue of Javanese

people who live in Java, especially in the province of Central Java, Yogyakarta, and also in East

Java. Besides, Javanese language is famous with “Unggah-Ungguh” or polite language.

Some linguists divide Javanese Language to become some levels based on the status or function

of the language in society. According to Wolff, John U.; Soepomo Poedjosoedarmo (1982)

Javanese language is divided into three levels, they are:

A. Kromo Inggil

The polite and formal style. It is used between those of the same status when they do not wish to

be informal. It is used by persons of lower status to persons of higher status, such as young

people to their elders, or subordinates to bosses; and it is the official style for public speeches,

announcements, etc. The term is from Sanskrit krama ("in order").

Example: (Neutral) Panjenengan badhe teng pundi?

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B. Ngoko Alus (Madya)

Intermediate between ngoko and krama. Strangers on the street would use it, where status

differences may be unknown and one wants to be neither too formal nor too informal. The term

is from Sanskrit madhya ("middle"). Example: Sampeyan badhe teng pundi?

C. Ngoko kasar

Which are the informal speech, used between friends and close relatives. It is also used by

persons of higher status (such as elders, or bosses) addressing those of lower status (young

people, or subordinates in the workplace). Example: Koen arep nang ndi?

Moreover, in this research, the writer will be focusing on measuring level of politeness in

collecting data about Javanese language that is used by people in Malang, East Java.

2.4 Malang

Malang is the second largest city in East Java province, Indonesia. It has an ancient

history dating back to the Mataram Kingdom. It has a total area of 252.136 km2. The city

population at the 2010 Census was 820,243 (BPS, 2010). During the period of Dutch

colonization, it was a popular destination for European residents. The city is famous for its cool

air and the surrounding country regions of Tumpang, Batu, Singosari, and Turen. People in East

Java sometimes call it "Paris of East Java." Malang was spared many of the effects of the Asian

financial crisis, and since that time it has been marked by steady economic and population

growth.

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 Javanese is the language used by Malang people. Many of the native Malang youths

adopt a dialect that is called “boso walikan”, it is simply done by reversing the pronunciation of

the words. The example is pronouncing “Malang” as “Ngalam” instead. Like Surabaya, Malang

residents adopt an egalitarian form of Javanese. As it becomes the educational city, there are

many languages from outside Java spoken in Malang. So, many culture of Javanese language is

also developed in this resident.

2.5 Previous Study

The writer finds a research related to this research, Politeness in Balinese: The

Appealing Strategies, from Prof. I Ketut Seken M.A (2011). His study is about politeness

strategies that is concern to communicative behaviors on various occasion and interaction of

people dignity. The purpose is the preserved and respected of people in concept of face by

communities. The similarity is the same vision on the concept of face and the context how

communication and interaction are respected on each other according to the local tradition of

region itself. The differences are leveling politeness itself. Its means that politeness can be

leveled based on the characteristic of speaker and listener to speak Javanese in honorific

interaction. And also more factors: for instance, the social setting, the content of the

conversation, the history of social interaction between speaker and the presence of a third person.

The easiest way is “uggah-ungguh” itself, is becoming base of communication in Javanese

language.

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 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHOD

3.1 Types of Research

This study is a descriptive qualitative research. Qualitative research is used to go deeper

into issues of interest and explore nuances related to the problem at hand. Common data

collection methods used in qualitative research are focus groups, triads, dyads, in-depth

interviews, uninterrupted observation, bulletin boards, and ethnographic participation or

observation (Mora, Michaela, par. 1). It is because the purpose of this mini research to measure

politeness level in Javanese language with “You” (Javanese) as the object of measurements. The

main focus is how people in Malang pronounce “You” (Javanese) and measuring the data to

give result.

3.2 The Source

In this study, the sources of the data will be taken from the questionnaires and interviewing the

people from Malang. The writer chooses three respondents in each region because they have

represented the limitation of age as the criteria. The people must be Javanese that stays and

comes from Malang, because the main subject is Malang as the object of this research.

The questionnaires are given to six respondents who became the subject of this research. The

questionnaire contains of the questions according to the measuring of politeness level theory.

The respondents are asked to give their equivalent dialect in Javanese language. In this session,

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the writer asks the respondents to use their dialects, whether “Ngoko”, “Kromo Madya”, or

“Kromo Inggil” that are used in their daily life.

3. 3 Data Collection

The method for collecting the data is by giving questionnaire and conducting interview.

In order to collect the data, the writer conducted the steps are as follows:

1. Searching the informants that are appropriate with the information related to this study.

2. Choosing 6 respondents are coming from Malang origin.

3. Asking several questions and words dealing with the Javanese Language that is used to

pronounce “You” in Javanese.

4. Giving questionnaires and let the informants fill it based on their own dialect.

5. Write the data about all the answers.

3.4 Data Analysis

After collecting the data, the writer then analyze the data one by one as the sequence

below:

1. Analyzing and measuring the data that is collected from correspondences.

2. Analyzing the meaning of each words are collected from correspondences.

3. Analyzing the character of Malang society, what Javanese language they used.

3. Drawing a conclusion based on the result of the interview.

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 CHAPTER IV

FINDING AND CONCLUSION

4.1 Finding

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 References

Brown, P., & Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language usage (2nd

edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Coupland, N., & Bishop, H. (2007). Ideologised values for British accents. Journal of

Sociolinguistics, 11 (1), 74–93.

Gu, Y. (1999). Politeness phenomena in modern Chinese. Journal of Pragmatics, 14, 237-257.

Matsumoto, Y. (1988). Reexamination of the universality of face: Politeness phenomena in

Japanese. Journal of Pragmatics, 12, 403-426.

Stephan, E., & Liberman, N. (2010). Politeness and Psychological Distance: A Construal Level

Perspective. Journal of Psychology, 98, 268-280.Tel-Aviv University: Department of Psychology

Wardhaugh, Ronald. (1986). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. London: Blackell Publising.

Yule, George. (1996). Pragmatic. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Grundy, Peter. (2000). Doing Pragmatic. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Morand A, David. (2000). Language and Power: An Empirical Analysis of Linguistic Strategies

Used in Superior-Subordinate Communication. Middletown: Pennsylvania State University

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