Declarative Speech Acts in the Friends of Merry Riana Podcast Episode Rejecting Corporate Slavery Gen Z Choices Amid an Ethical Crisis

Abstract

This study aims to describe the various types of declarative utterances and the meanings contained in them in the Friends of Merry Riana podcast episode entitled Rejecting Corporate Slavery: Generation Z’s Choice Amid the Ethical Crisis. This study employs a pragmatic approach based on the speech act theory proposed by John L. Austin and John Searle. The theory explains that every utterance can be analyzed through three aspects, namely locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative, as it seeks to understand and describe linguistic phenomena in depth based on their contexts of use. Data were collected through documentation, observation, and note-taking techniques on the utterances found in the podcast. Furthermore, the data were analyzed through several stages, including data transcription, identification of declarative utterances, classification based on their types, interpretation of meanings, description of findings, and conclusion drawing. The results of the study reveal six dominant types of declarative utterances, namely permitting, restricting, dismissing, sentencing, surrendering, and classifying. Each type of utterance carries different illocutionary meanings depending on its purpose and context of use. Overall, declarative utterances in the podcast function as instruments of authority that affirm decisions, establish limitations, alter certain social statuses, and construct professional as well as personal realities, particularly in portraying the experiences and perspectives of Generation Z amid the ongoing ethical crisis.