Cover not available

Article published In: Pragmatics and Society
Vol. 11:4 (2020) ► pp.524–544

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
authorization required

Criticism in the Javanese Arek Cultural Community

Its expression context and strategy use

 | Airlangga University
 | Universitas Sebelas Maret
 | Universitas Sebelas Maret
Published online: 20 November 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.16032.jau
Abstract
This article studies the speech act criticism and its function as a means of social control in the Javanese Arek Cultural Community (JACC) in East Java, Indonesia. Its goal is to understand how criticism is expressed in various contexts based on ±Power (±P), ± social Distance (±D), ±Public (±Pu), and to understand the criticism strategies appropriate for use in these contexts. The data was collected through Discourse Completion Tasks and interviews. The results show that the contexts for expressing criticism in the JACC are determined by parameter ±D. Based on this parameter, it can be discovered which contexts tend to be preferred and less preferred. In the use of strategy, the Indirect Criticism (IC) is more commonly used than the Direct Criticism (DC). Nevertheless, in preferred contexts, the DC is still regarded as something that is natural and customary.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Definitions of criticism
  • 3.Criticism as a means of social control
  • 4.Strategies of criticism
  • 5.Contexts of criticism
  • 6.Method
  • 7.Criticism: Its expression in various situational contexts based on the parameters (±P), (±D), (±Pu) in the office domain
  • 8.DC and IC strategies: Their use in various situational contexts based on the parameters (±P), (±D), and (±Pu) in the office domain
  • 9.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Note
  • References
References (22)
References
Berger, Peter L. 1978. Invitation to Sociology. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Blum-Kulka, Shoshana, Juliane House, & Gabriele Kasper (eds). 1989. Cross-Cultural Pragmatics: Request and Apologies. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Brown, Penelope and Stephen C. Levinson. 1987. Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Djajasudarma, Fatimah T. 2010. Metode Linguistik: Ancangan Metode Penelitian dan Kajian [Methods of Linguistics: Approaches and Reviews]. Bandung: Refika Aditama.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Farnia, Maryam & Hiba Qusay Abdul Sattar. 2015. “A Sociopragmatic Analysis of the Speech Act of Criticism by Persian Native Speakers”. International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies 2(3): 305–327.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gunarwan, Asim. 1996. “The Speech Act of Criticizing among Speakers of Javanese”. Paper presented at the 6th Meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society. Unpublished.
Hoang, Thi Xuan Hoa. 2007. “Criticizing Behaviors by the Vietnamese and the Americans: Topics, Social Factors, and Frequency”. VNU Journal of Science. Foreign Languages: 141–154.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Min, Shang-chao. 2008. “Study on the Differences of Speech Act of Criticism in Chinese and English”. US-China Foreign Language 6(3). (Serial No. 54).Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mulac, Anthony, David R. Seibold & Jennifer Lee Farris. 2000. “Female and Male Managers’ Criticism Giving: Differences in Language Use and Effects”. Journal of Language and Psychology 19(4): 389–415. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nguyen, Minh Thi Thui. 2005. “Criticizing and Responding to Criticism in a Foreign Language: A Study of Vietnamese Leaners of English”. Ph.D. Thesis, The University of Auckland.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2008. “Criticizing in an L2: Pragmatic Strategies Used by Vietnamese EFL Learners” in Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pranowo. 2009a. Kesantunan Berbahasa [Language Politeness]. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2009b. “Kesantunan Berbahasa Tokoh Masyarakat Ditinjau dari Aspek Pragmatik” [Languge Politeness of Community Leaders from Pragmatics View]. Professor’s inaugural speech, Department of Language Education and Indonesian Literature, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Poedjosoedarmo, Soepomo. 1978. “Language Etiquette in Indonesian” in Spectrum. (ed. by S. Udin). Jakarta: Pustaka Dian RakyatGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Roucek, Joseph S. 1965. Social Control. New Delhi: W.D. ten Broeck (for Affiliated East-West Press Private Ltd.)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Searle, John R. 1996. “Indirect Speech Acts”. In The Philosophy of Language. ed. by A. P. Martinich. Third Edition. 168–182. New York & Oxford: Oxford University PressGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Soekanto, Soerjono. 2007. Sosiologi: Suatu Pengantar. Jakarta: Raja Grafindo Persada.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sudaryanto. 2015. Metode dan Aneka Teknik Analisis Bahasa: Pengantar Penelitian Wahana Kebudayaan secara Linguistis [Methods and Techniques for Analysing Language: An Introduction to Cultural Research in Linguistics]. Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma University Press:Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Toplak, Maggie, & Albert N. Katz. 2000. “On the uses of sarcastic irony.” Journal of Pragmatics 32(10), 1467–1488. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tracy, Karen & Eric Eisenberg, E. 1990. “Giving criticisms: a multiple goals case study.” Research on Language and Social Interaction 241: 37–70. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tracy, Karen, Donna Van Dusen & Susan Robinson. 1987. “Good and bad criticism: a descriptive analysis”. Journal of Communication 371: 46–59. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wajnryb, Ruth. 1993. “Strategies for the management and delivery of criticisms.” EA Journal 11 (2): 74–84.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (6)

Cited by six other publications

Bersier, Baptiste, Diana Mazzarella & Sandrine Zufferey
2025. “Troubles-talk”. Pragmatics & Cognition 32:2 ► pp. 382 ff. DOI logo
Norwanto, Norwanto
2025. Unspoken evaluation of impoliteness. Pragmatics and Society DOI logo
Weng, Xin & Qiaoyun Liao
2025. The intimacy-power relationships in the usage of direct criticism in Chinese: a reflection of rapport management. Language and Cognition 17 DOI logo
Zhu, Weihua
2025. Criticism in Korean and Chinese workplace observation reality shows. Journal of Pragmatics 240 ► pp. 35 ff. DOI logo
Zhu, Weihua
2025. Complaints in Travel Reality Shows: A Comparison Between Korean and Chinese Speakers. Languages 10:7 ► pp. 171 ff. DOI logo
Badarneh, Muhammad A. & Malak Damiri
2024. Criticizing for the public interest and aligning with others. Pragmatics and Society 15:4 ► pp. 557 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 30 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue