Claims of Policy in opinion columns of the Jakarta Post

ABSTRACT

This study examines the reason for claim in term of academic writing: in argumentative essay in opinion column of the Jakarta Post. Argumentation is the art of influencing others by defending and opposing others. Argumentation is used to persuade people and create differences in order to change the perspective of other people. Argumentation creates experiences in order to gain knowledge to find a solution. It makes readers grow and become more mature because it provides an experience that need to be controlled. Also, it develops important critical tools. This becomes the starting point of this research, which concern the linguistic aspect of argumentation in written form.

The claims analyzed are limited on the text in Opinion Column on economic issue published from 1 to 15 May 2011. This study employs descriptive qualitative design. To get the convenient and systematic data, the researcher becomes the main instrument. The data are presented and analyzed by using Rothenberg’s theory of claim.

The finding shows that the writers rarely stated the claims explicitly in introductory paragraph. None of the essay used the method of quotation, question, paradox, definition and humor in introducing the claims of policy. They often used funnel type to give general statements about the subject in order to attract the reader’s attention before coming to the thesis statements. The way the writer defended their claims of Policies were as follows: (1) the thesis statements or claims are not always stated explicitly in introductory paragraph, (2) the writer established the changing of phenomenon happened in all data by ordering some suggestions and solutions to face the problem, (3) the writer considered the opposing argument and gave his opinion to solve the problems, (4) the readers obtained distinct benefits from the solution given by the writer, and (5) the writer gave some facts, interpretation and opinion as the solid data, moral consideration and common sense as reasons to support the policy. Moreover, the writer had shown the use of all patterns in ordering the evidence. There are two data which use chronological order, two data which use topical order, and three data which use climatic orders.