A critical discourse analysis of gender bias in Mona Lisa Smile film

As the instrument of communications, language could not be inseparable from the human existence. Language is, therefore, the mirror of human reality, when the reality shows discriminations to certain groups; the language will present the discrimination. Due to this fact, it conducts us to understand the message of communication through the gender biased that is expressed by the human being in our society, because there are many inequalities between women and men in many social constructions that also happen in the language practice that we find in every condition.

This study aims at analyzing the critical discourse analysis on the forms of language that are uttered by the main characters and the supporting characters in Mona Lisa Smile film. According to the background, this research is conducted to answer the research problem, what types of words and sentences that indicate gender bias in Mona Lisa Smile film.

The researcher uses descriptive qualitative research. The data of this research are in the form of utterances of words and sentences from the dialogue in the film. Collecting the data of this research is done by watching the film from the beginning up to end; then, selecting the data that show the language bias; the last is making transcription the data. In the data analysis, the researcher uses some process of analysis: categorizing the data that is gander biased expressed by the main characters and the supporting characters of Mona Lisa Smile Film. Then, this research analyzes the data and also discusses the data by using critical discourse analysis proposed by TeunVan Dijk in Eriyanto (2001).

The result of this research shows that there are many statements that indicate gender bias in types of words and sentences uttered by the main characters and the supporting characters in Mona Lisa Smile film. Based on the data that are found, the intention and expression element is the most dominant element in expressing the gender bias. In this case, the statements that gender biased often appears explicitly from their expression when the characters spoken. Furthermore, it emerges from their ulterior-motive behind their utterances.

Based on those finding, this research suggests for the students who are interesting in study the gender bias in Mona Lisa Smile film, are expected to pay more attention to the expression and the intention of the main characters and the supporting characters. Therefore, it will help them in indicating the gender bias statements.