Touching Anger: Investigation on Speech Style Used by An Indonesian Female Politician

Abstract

Study on speech style in political communications has been widely conducted. However, in the Indonesian context, there is a very little concern given to the speech style of women involved in politics. This study investigates the speech style used by a renowned Indonesian female politician, Tri Rismaharini o better known by the nickname Risma. She has a distinctive way of communicating to the public by showing many emotional speeches on various occasions. This research is a qualitative design by collecting utterances of Risma's emotional speeches and analysing them using Lakoff's women language features. The study argues that as an experienced bureaucrat who turned into a politician, Risma has a rich vocabulary speech style in her pocket, including soft and anger that she has deployed to win the heart of the public and her constituent. Moreover, the actual development programme she has delivered plays a significant role in the effectiveness and touch of her communication style.