Isan Country Songs: The Representation of Socio-Culture and Language Strategies

Abstract

The purposes of this qualitative research paper were 1) to study the representation of socio-culture in Isan country songs, and 2) to study language strategies used in Isan country songs. This is a qualitative research. The 20 songs with million views were obtained from YouTube, while the conceptual frameworks were the representation and language strategies. Additionally, the descriptive analytics was used to present the research findings.
The results of the study, on the one hand, found that a songwriter presented five representations of socio-culture and analyzed them by using the conceptual frameworks. The five aspects of Isan country song were family, career, religion and beliefs, tradition and values aspects. It was found that the most representation used in the songs was the family aspect relevant to area of love, and lifestyle, followed by careers, religion and beliefs, tradition and value aspects, respectively. It also indicated the representations of socio-culture and diversity of people in society. This would make the song listener interested in the lyrics. On the other hand, the language strategies used in the songs consisted of two issues: language strategy and figurative language. It was found that 1) language strategies used in the songs were dialects, reduplication including words and sentences, swear words, and foreign languages, and 2) six types of figurative language also used in the study that were simile, metaphor, symbol, hyperbole, personification, and rhetorical question, respectively. In fact, they had been found that language used in the songs was understood easily, express the song meanings directly includes local Isan, lifestyles, beliefs, and valued traditions. In addition, the song listeners would experience and were proud consciousness of their hometown, thoughts, and ways of living through the songs.