Discourse Strategies of Social Relation’s Construction by Indonesian Presidential Candidates in Their First Campaign 2024

This study aims to explore the discourse strategies employed by three Indonesian presidential candidates to construct the social relations between the candidates and their audience and Indonesian society in general during their first campaign. Social relation is essential element in political campaigns to interest audience, to get sympathetic. Social relation is important in political campaigns because it can be used to attract the attention of the audience and the goal is to influence the potential voters to vote the candidate. Constructing certain social relation can also be used as a tool construct selfimage of closeness with audiences and to get public support. The social praxis is usually achieved through manipulating language. Constructing the social relation can be done directly or indirectly through hegemony. Using Faircloug’s model of Critical Discourse Analysis, this study purpose to uncover discourse that is potentially used by each candidate to construct social relation; the factors that shape the social relation construction; and the potential impacts of the social construction. The findings reveal that the candidates manipulated various linguistic devices, such as the use of inclusive kita (we), exclusive kami (our) for building close relation; and personal narratives. The such strategies are expected  to build close relation between the candidate and audience, to enhance solidarity, and to stress the urgency of  a nation’s collective identity.