Flouting and hedging maxims of utterances produced by apple farmers in Poncokusumo Malang

ABSTRACT

This study is focused on analyzing flouting and hedging maxims of utterances produced by apple farmers in Poncokusumo Malang using Grice’s maxims. Maxims are the rules of cooperative principle, one part of discourse analysis study which is distinguished into four categories; maxim of quantity, maxim of quality, maxim of relevant, and maxim of manner. If these maxims are used in conversation, it can go on smoothly, but when people make conversation they often break the maxims overtly (flouting the maxims) and sometimes they break the maxims secretly (hedging the maxims)..Apple farmer is one of the examples who often flout and hedge the maxims in their daily conversation. Based on that background, the research about flouting and hedging maxims of utterances produced by apple farmers in Poncokusumo Malang was conducted with the following problem: ،،How are the maxims flouted or hedged by apple farmers in Poncokusomo Malang?

This research was conducted using descriptive qualitative method based on Grice’s maxims. The data were in the form of conversations among apple farmers when they were in farms. The data were selected from June 8th to 15th 2003 and from July 25th to August 1st 2003.

Data analysis revealed some findings covering the formulated research question. The maxims could be flouted or hedged by apple farmers in Poncokusumo Malang. The maxims were flouted when the maxims were overtly broken by apple fanners such as by producing the utterance in the form of rhetorical strategies namely tautology, metaphor, overstatement, understatement, rhetorical question and irony. In addition, the maxims were hedged when the information was not totally accurate but it seems that it was informative, well founded and relevant. So the words or the utterances like “sak rohku” (as I know), “sak ilingku” (as I remember), “lek’e” (maybe) often used. Further, they often quote the information from other person and usually certain words or utterances used such as “jerene wong-wong’; (people or they say).

Based on those findings, it is recommended that this research will be the additional reference in the field of discourse. In addition, it is also recommended to the next researchers can use Grice’s maxims to conduct the research on the literary' work. Furthermore, other relevant theories are also suggested to be used in conducting the researches on the same area.