Gender dan Politik: Menelusuri Fitur Bahasa dalam Debat Presiden AS 2024

Abstract

Presidential debates are high-stakes events where candidates strategically use language to persuade audiences, assert authority, and build their public personas. The 2024 U.S. Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris provides a compelling context for analyzing gendered language. This study employs qualitative-descriptive analysis with Jennifer Coates’ (2004) theory of language features to uncover the linguistic features employed by both candidates from the debate video uploaded by The Wall Street Journal YouTube channel, exploring the dominant types, its function and how their use of language aligns with their political communication strategies. Within 196 datasets - Harris combines commands and directives with traditionally women’s language features like hedges and minimal responses. In addition, Trump communicates in a dominant men’s language features marked by frequent use of swearing and taboo language alongside direct questioning and compliments. The findings highlight gender's influence on language choices, revealing the intersection of gender, language, and power.