A. What
Critical Discourse Analysis is
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is a
type of discourse analytical research that primarily studies the way social
power abuse, dominance, and inequality are enacted, reproduced, and resisted by
text and talk in the social and political context. With such dissident research,
critical discourse analysts take explicit position, and thus want to
understand, expose, and ultimately resist social equality (Van Dijk, 1985).
The object of CDA there is Barrack Obama’s Biography book. Its aim is
to explore the relationships among language, ideology, and power. In this book,
the writer has own point of view in writing Barrack Obama’s Biography, so it
needs to be discovered what is and what are the point that was emphasized by
the writer and it will influence of reader.
Fairclough & Wodak (1997: 271-280)
summarize the main tenets of CDA as follows:
1. CDA addresses social
problems
2. Power relations are
discursive
3. Discourse
Constitutes Society and Culture
4. Discourse does
ideological work
5. Discourse is
historical
6. The link between
text and society is mediated
7. Discourse analysis
is interpretative and explanatory
8. Discourse is a form of social action.
B.
Kind
of Discourse Analysis from Barrack Obama’s Biography
1.
Ethnocentrism,
anti-Semitism, nationalism and racism
By
the time Barack Sr. was in his teens, life in Kenya was rapidly changing.
Many
Africans had fought in the war, and when they returned to their homeland, they
were eager to use what they learned as fighters.
They
were no longer satisfied with white rule.
Barack’s
grandfather was skeptical that talk about independence would lead to anything,
and he thought Africans could never win against a white man’s army.
He
told his son, “How can the African defeat the white man when he cannot even
make his own bicycle?” He said that the African could never win against the
white man because the black man wanted to work only with his own family or
clan, while responsibly. He wrote to
Barack Sr. “How can you marry this white woman when you have responsibilities
at home? Will this woman return with you and live as a Luo woman? . . . Let the
girl’s father come to my hut and discuss the situation properly.
In
his book, Barack also writes about racism and how his mother and grandparents
were exposed to it while living in Texas.
In 1983, Barack decided to become a
community activist, even though he didn’t know anyone who made a living doing
this job nor did he know what such a job’s duties might be he would organize
black people to effect change.
When Barack was announced as the winner
of the most coveted position at one of the most prestigious institutions in the
United States—the first black student to hold the spot in its 104 year
history—he was inundated with interview requests from newspaper and magazine reporters.
Barack is first president from black man.
STATEMENT:
In biography of Barrack Obama, the writer emphasized that Barack is first
president from black man. He is considered as president by people in America. This
condition related to discriminating where the black man become minority and the
government didn’t give attention to them. The writer emphasized this condition
with winning Barrack Obama in President Election of America as the first
president from Black Man. The writer wanted to tell the reader his proud
because of its. The new president generation was born and will struggle the
black man in themselves land. In history of America, the local citizens were
black man from negro race, but in once upon a time the white people that were
immigrant drive out negro race from themselves land. They actually took over
the dominance in America, so the black man is lost. The white people also
colonized them in their land. During several decades America was leaded by white
people, their president is from white people in several eras. This matter
happened since Barracks’ Grandfather and he told about the story of black man.
He also unpermitted Barrack Sr when he wanted to marry Ann Dunham who white
girl from Kansas. Because in their society it will forbidden and it is clumsy
act, also it will make many problem with them.
There were many problems that happened
with black people, they had been discriminating during some years. The governments
didn’t care with black people right, even they were permitted and they didn’t
get attention from the government. Many black man got violence, buried, and
they became edge community. Unfairness, dignity, and injustice, also servitude
are legalized by the American government in many years. The point of view of
American people thought that Black man was viewed as low intelligence, so they
were not considered as member of government. In this matter, writer efforted to
built the influence character of Barrack Obama in losing discrimination and
make black man’s life become more prosperous, safe, and give contribution in
black man’s education. Barrack did this because when he grow up, he knew about
what happened with their people and he felt what actually dissatisfaction
become black man. Writer gift strong image in this book with told the history
of Barrack in past, how barrack struggle in his education, and have powerful
destiny to become important people in influencing other people, with following
some organization until Barrack was accepted in heart of American people and he
succeed become the first black man president, and he continued to struggle lift
of his people.
I think the government had to
consistence for struggling the black man life, not only give promise in
campaign time but also make it really real in their life. Many promise of a
would be president in campaign time had delivered many speech that relate to
avoid racism in their country to get attention of society in order to they were
chosen in voting but after they became president, they will forget what they
said. They should give socialization for society of white people to change
their mind and behave well with black man.
2. SOCIAL PROBLEM
He chose a young girl named Akumu, who
was known for her great beauty. They had three children; the second child was
Barack’s father. Later, he married again; his third wife was Granny, who, at
16, married Onyango and lived in Nairobi with him.
In 1963 Barack Obama Sr. leaves the
United States to return to Kenya. He and Ann Dunham Obama are divorced.
Barack was two,
his father returned to Africa, leaving him and his.
In 1967 Ann Dunham Obama
marries Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian student attending the University of Hawaii.
Lolo leaves Hawaii for Indonesia; Ann makes plans for her and Barrack to
follow.
Barack leaves Hawai to move to Jakarta,
Indonesia, with his mother and his stepfather. Barack’s half sister Maya is
born in Indonesia. She separated from Lolo, and divorced.When Barack was 10.
After in new home now,
his stepfather gave a gift of a ape named Tata from New Guinea when Barry going
to sleep he heard the sound of crickets chirping.
In
1963 when Barack was only 2 years old, wasn’t easily processed. Now, at 21
years of age, he heard from an aunt he didn’t know that his father, who was
somewhat more a myth than a man, was dead.
STATEMENT:
The writer explained about Barracks’ family, his grandfather and his father
have some similarity in usually changing couple. Even his father divorced with
his mother when he was young. Then his mother got married again with other man
so do his father. There the writer wanted to tell how the development of
children struggled with bad condition whereas actually children have to get
love and affection from the two important people in real condition. His parents
are divorced because his father want to get bright future with go away to Kenya
and continued his study. Each other indeed want to get their own idea. They
didn’t think about his children feeling and they didn’t care about it. This
happened in Barracks’ life. He disappointed with their father because when he
was children, he was gone away by his father. Barrack was president but his
past life didn’t get much of affection from his parents. He didn’t come from the
good quality affection of parents.
This story also told
that the step father like Lolo Soetoro isn’t like in issued. He was good step
father for Barrack. He loved his step child. He subjected Barrack like his own
children, there is no differentiate.
The
writer explained past life time of Barrack that have some disappointed feeling
in his father and when his father come to meet him, he was just in silently,
and sometimes he mumbled with his father. Actually there were no children that
want to like Barracks life. He is common people that want to affection in
growing up. This condition even made his point of view with his father bad, he
didn’t respect with his father and until his father die he didn’t have pain
feeling. In this case, how can the barrack’s disappointment be measure in his
father?
Many
cases in America were like that, the writer wanted to explain about this was
social life style of American people in relationship. The social life of
American was commonly they do without thought about the development behavioral
of their children. Divorce is commonly situation in social live of American. They
just still thought about their own happiness life and free to braid with other
people or like to change their couple. The writer efforted to influence the
reader with Barracks’ life in order to the society changed their life style.
The writer suggested to the society to change in better life than yesterday
with change their behavioral, becoming loyal with their own couple.
3.
EDUCATION
Barack
Sr. was accepted at the University of Hawaii and through a scholarship and
monies he received from benefactors; the funds were raised for him to leave
Africa. Barrack Obama’s father became the first African student at the
University of Hawaii, where he studied econometrics.
In 1963, after graduating in three years
and first in his class, Barack
Sr. won another
scholarship to pursue his Ph.D. at Harvard University.
Ann concentrated on Barack’s education.
There wasn’t enough money to send him to the International School, where most
of the foreign children were educated, so she arranged to supplement his
Indonesian education with lessons from a correspondence course.
1971 Fall—As a fifth
grader, Barack attends the prestigious prep school Punahou Academy.
1979 Barack’s
paternal grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama, dies in Kenya. Barrack graduates
from Punahou Academy. After being accepted by several schools, he enrolls in
Occidental College in Los Angeles.
1981 August—Barack,
now 20 years old, transfers from Occidental College to Columbia University in
New York City
1983 Barack graduates
from Columbia University. He takes a job in New York as a research assistant at
a consulting firm.
1985 Barack accepts a
position as a community organizer and moves to Chicago. During his three years
on the job, his half sister Auma visits him and he learns about his father and
the family in Kenya.
1988 February—Barack
is accepted by Harvard Law School. Fall—At 27 years of age, Barack begins law
school.
1990 During his
second year of law school, Barack is elected president of the prestigious Harvard
Law Review. He is the first African American to be elected to the position
in the Review’s 104-year history.
1991 Barack graduates
magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. After being heavily recruited by law
firms across the nation, he returns to Chicago to practice civil rights law.
STATEMENT: Barracks’
parents are people that have great aspire; they continued their study in
university to become success people in future and they wanted to have better
life than before. Their thinking is modern because their culture had demanded
west people to become success people and hard worker also explore their talent
and competence. If they didn’t become anyone, so they didn’t include great
people. Relating to the barracks’ grandfather, he is famous farmer because he
has high knowledge about field. From that story, he was people that wanted to
effort becoming success people and improve his field and produce much money for
his family life. He read some book and study about field with autodidact. He
thought that education is important and he is intellectual people. It was relegated
to his generation. Moreover Barracks father is black man from Africa, he has
more spirit to be success people and prove to the world that the black man is
same intelegency with white people in education.
The development Barrack education is
significant from one step to the other step. Although when he was child, he
didn’t get best education from International school because his mother didn’t
have enough money and choose with teaching him herself, her mother effort to
give the best thing that she has. In fact there are no parents that want to
give common treatment for their children about anything especially education.
They necessary want to give best thing for their children. He had to work
before he continued his study in Havard University; I think that he was so
independent students, from work during three years he had more experience about
the case in society, so he become people that was considered. When he was
studying at Havard University, he was chosen as president of Havard University
review to review the political article.
Barrack is people that have high
competency and smart, he has lofty aspire in his study that become his spirits;
it was to change the black man life and made them to prosperous. He began his
school in Indonesia and move from one country to other country to look for
knowledge and experience. He studied more and tried to find who was he? He
interested with political science, and it supported him to be politician. He
studied about more political science and studied about cases from one country
to other country. He became great people from black man that can prove his
existence with having some famous academic title and have more science about
political, life, and social.
4.
CULTURE
a. Social Culture
In 1961, Barrack
Obama was born and stayed in Hawai.
In 1971 Barack
leaves Indonesia to live with his grandparents in Hawaii. Ann and Barack’s half
sister Maya stay in Indonesia. He is 10 years old. He came back to Hawai to go
to school in Punahou Academy.
In the fall of 1979 Barrack left Hawai
for California.
In 1981 Barrack arrived in New York to
study political science.
In 1983 Barrack moved to Chicago for
becoming activist.
In 1988 Barrack went to Kenya for going
to Havard University.
b. Background
Culture
Barrack’s father is from Africa, he is
black man and he is Muslim.
Barracks mother is from Witchi;
Kansas-America, she is White Woman and she is Christian.
STATEMENT:
a.
Barrack commonly moved from one place to other place to study or live. Actually
Barrack knew more different culture and he knew about society there. He had a
lot of experience and knowledge about the culture and it influenced his
thinking. For instance when he stayed in Indonesia, he knew about the language,
culture, and Indonesian food, also religion. He understood about life together
with harmonious between Moslem people and Christian. He knew about many things
about the black man and studied the development black man in around him, so he
can infer what he should do. He understood that in each country that had different
treatment for black man. Barrack is smart person that easy to adapt in any
country, so he was flexible people. He developed his brain with many cases in
other country and it made his thinking is great.
STATEMMENT: b. Barrack’s parents
actually had different culture, because they are from different country and
race. When Barrack followed president election of America, he got some problem
about his skin. This happened in discussion session when he interviewed by
journalist from National Association
of Black Journalists in August 2007. But I think Barrack had high confident
to answer the question about his skin. He said that “The discussion didn’t
discuss about my black skin but other”. He was very confident to answer it. He
actually had adapted about differentiate both culture of his father or mother.
He was never confused about his culture, but he actually made it easy. He knew
about Islam and Christian, but he never made it different, he liked peace and
love. He chose Non Moslem because he stayed with his mother. His mother told
Barrack about it and everything that relate to Christian. I think it will be
different story, if Barrack stayed with his father, he will be Moslem. Because
in children life, he may not immediately choose his own religion, but here the
influences of parents are majority to influence religion of his children. The
children will be Moslem or Christian or other religion, it depended on their
parents. Barrack also perceive that black man and white man is same. He was
born by white woman and his father is black man, so Barrack thought that it was
same. There is no differentiate between both in intellectual and competency,
all of human have same capacity, only color of their skin that is
different.
5.
THE
DISCOURSE OF ECONOMICS
Barack
Sr. moved away from his father’s home to work in Mombassa. He later applied to
universities in the United States. Onyango supported his son’s desire to study
abroad but had little money to support his efforts.
STATEMENT: Barrack wasn’t from rich family;
this is known by his grandfather that he was just common farmer that have some
field. His grandfather also can’t give budget of school to his son when
Barrack’s father wanted to school in University of States. Barrack SR worked
hard to collect some money to continue his study, but other destiny arrived
from him. Because of it he even got scholarship in University of Havard and
Hawai. The spirit of Barracks’ father was adhered to Barrack, he is independent
guy that survive his life. He was also hard worker before he went to Havard
University. The spirit of Barrack need to be example for our life.
6.
POLITICAL
DISCOURSE
1981 August—Barack, now 20 years old,
transfers from Occidental College to Columbia University in New York City to
study political science.
1985 Barack accepts a position as a community
organizer and moves to Chicago.
1988 February—Barack is accepted by Harvard
Law School. Fall—At 27 years of age, Barack begins law school.
1990 During his second year of law school,
Barack is elected as president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. He
is the first African American to be elected to the position in the Review’s
104-year history.
In 1991, Barack graduated from Harvard
Law School. Because of his position with the Law Review and graduating
magna cum laude, he was heavily recruited by numerous law firms and also by a
chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Washington, D.C., circuit, a
very powerful and prestigious position. While a student at Harvard Law, Barack
worked as a summer law associate at a Chicago law firm.
In 1992, Barack became the director of
Illinois Project Vote, helping register nearly 50,000 voters, many of whom were
low-income minorities.
In 1993, Barack went to work for a
public interest law firm, where he worked as a civil rights attorney. After
three years of teaching and working as a civil rights attorney, Barack decided
to enter politics.
In 1999, Barack missed an important vote
relating to gun control. At the time, he and his family were visiting his grandmother
in Hawaii for the Christmas holiday, and his daughter, Malia, then 18 months
old, was sick and unable to fly. The vote was narrowly defeated, and, while his
vote wouldn’t have made a difference in the bill’s demise, the missed vote was
a factor when Barack ran against Bobby Rush, a popular Chicago Democrat, for
the U.S. House of Representatives.
By 1999, Barack made the decision to
enter the race for the U.S.House of Representatives.
At the October 2, 2002, rally, Barack
took a position on what was a popular war. To a crowd of approximately 2,000
people, Barack said, “What I am opposed to is a dumb war.
While campaigning in 2003, Barack was
adamantly liberal in his views, and he continued to be outspoken in his
opposition to the Iraq war.
And then he ran for the U.S. Senate and
won by a landslide after delivering what was described as an electrifying
speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
From the moment he finished his
electrifying speech at the Democratic National Convention in August 2004,
Barack was a political star. A few months later, an overwhelming majority of
Illinois voters elected him to the U.S. Senat.
In January 2005, Barack was the only
African American in the U.S. Senate, and only the fifth black U.S. senator in
history. In the American Prospect in
February 2006, author Jodi Enda notes
that in Barack there is a sense of destiny, and his background and charm, his intellect
and his way with words, all mark him as someone special.
On January 16, 2007, Barack took another
step toward a presidential bid by posting a message on his Web site and sending
an e-mail message to his Web site subscribers about forming a presidential
exploratory committee.
The 2008 presidential race has been
described as unprecedented and as a history-making event. For the first time,
an African American was a Democratic front-runner with a legitimate opportunity
to be the president.
STATEMENT:
The development of Barrack Obama’s political from year to year increased
significantly. He found his destiny to come in political word and eventually he
entered in real politic in year 1993. He fostered his experience and become
real politician. He will create his dream become true, when he was child he
wanted to be president. He efforted more and he became senator of USA in year 2006.
In political word he include person that have great influence for society. Lastly
he won the America election because his cleverness in getting heart of American
people by his speech. Barrack Obama used more simple words and short
sentences instead of difficult ones. His language is easy and colloquial. Thus,
it can easily shorten the distance between him and the audience. This matter happened
because Barrack is talent people and charismatic, and wise. He has wide
experience in this field because in the past, he always performs in front of
public to deliver his speech with his style, and his studies also support
Barrack to become best speeches, and made Barrack can built himself to be
powerful in speech. He imitated his father confident and way of his father to
deliver his speech. The audiences that listen Barrack’s voice were influenced,
and they actually built their confidence to choose Barrack Obama.
Barrack also delivered optional of his
speech about some topic that became polemic in his society, like AIDS, War,
Race, and etc. He chose Irak war topic indeed because he wanted to change
governing style of America with stopping intervention of Iraq and commanded for
American Shoulder to come back in their homeland. He also proclaimed about race
in his political when campaign because it is most interesting topic that still
exist there. In his political, actually he sometimes got trouble. His way isn’t
always swift. I think Barrack was bravery man because he gaze directly Josh
Bush opinion about war in Iraq. Barrack didn’t allowed what Josh Bush had done
before. Barrack give message for society to stop war in Iraq. The American
Society also didn’t like with war, they also have same feeling with other human,
they had affection with other, but when President Josh W Bush was governing
America; opinion of his society wasn’t listened by government. He did what he
like although sacrifice many shoulder in war location. Barrack was smart people
he used bat condition that society hated it to increase his popularity.
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