ABSTRACT

Aridem Vintoni. 2008. “Strategies of Requests and Refusals Used by Customers and
Retailers at Morning Traditional Marketplace in Tanjung Pauh Mudik Kerinci”.
Thesis. Graduate Program. University of Padang.

This study investigates the cultural patterns of native speakers of Tanjung Pauh
Mudik (regional) dialect of Kerinci language in making requests and refusals (in
respond to the requests) in the trading or shopping situation at the morning traditional
market place in Tanjung Pauh Mudik Kerinci. The data collected by means of
participant observation on the social interaction among the participants at four
different market stalls at the market place. This was done within the period of five
months; it was started on July 6, 2007 and finished on November 30, 2007. Among
various roles of the people involved in the social (trading) activities at the market
place, four retailers and fifty nine customers were selected as the participants in the
study. During the process of participant observation, naturally occurring both requests
and refusals from the interpersonal communication among the participants (based on
the various particular contexts) were written or taken into field notes and transcribed.
The data were analyzed through a descriptive analytical T-unit analysis; the semantic
components or strategies of the “head acts” of both speech acts used by the
participants were identified and categorized in order to find out the cultural patterns
of native speakers in making requests and refusals. The findings or results of the
study showed that native speakers used various strategies in making requests and
refusals (in respond to the requests) in communicating among them in the (social)
speech situation. The data show that managing “face” in making requests and
refusals, the native speakers of Tanjung Pauh mudik culture tended to choose the
different semantics elements of the discourse. According to data, the participants used
the following categories of the semantic element or strategies of “head acts” of
request: “mood derivable” (impositive), “explicit performative”, “want statement”,
“suggestory formulae”, “query preparatory”, and “strong hints”. In performing the
request, they might use different combinations of the head acts within the discourse
sequence. In refusing the requests, the following categories of the “head acts” of
refusals were used by the participants: “excuse/ reason/ explanation”, “statement of
alternative”, “attempt to dissuade the interlocutor”, and “verbal avoidance”. Like in
making requests, the patterns used by the participants in refusing the requests might
occur in different combinations. Besides, to soften the impact on their interlocutors,
the participants also used different types of external modifications in making both
kinds of speech acts. Such mitigating devices are as follow: precursors or alerters
(names/ [personal] address, [kinship] terms, titles [honorifics], pause or verbal
fillers), preparator, checking on availability, grounder (reasons/ explanation/
alternative). They occurred in various positions in the discourse.