Between Ecology and Economics: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Putri Mandalika Folklore

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss the positioning of the Mandalika folklore, between ecology and economics. This folklore text is described by combining Norman Fairclough’s theory and methods of critical discourse analysis (CDA) with an ecocritical perspective. In his analysis, Norman Fairclough uses a three-dimensional CDA model, namely text analysis, discursive practice, and socio-cultural practice. The results showed that in text analysis related to the analysis of language features in the form of vocabulary analysis (words and meanings) that represent the nobility, women, and the ecological system, the analysis of discursive practice interpreting the story text of Putri Mandalika is interpreted as a story text that produces tradition bau nyale. Furthermore, socio-cultural practices are related to the social relations of the people in relation to the bau nyale event being a cultural event, tourism event, and ecological event. The folklore text of Putri Mandalika presents the bau nyale festival. This celebration has an ecological and economic impact. Economically, the bau nyale festival is able to improve the people’s economy, but ecologically, the bau nyale festival can damage environmental sustainability due to the lack of public awareness of environmental care, as evidenced by leaving trash everywhere.