Abstract:
This thesis aims to study the mindsets about childhood characteristics revealed through linguistic strategies in the product and service advertisement discourse published in family magazines based on the concept of Critical Discourse Analysis. The study was conducted by analyzing information from product and service advertisements published in six family magazines: Mother and Child, Rakluke, Mothers Digest, Modern Mom, Real Parenting, and Mother & Care released during October 2014 until September 2015. The result shows that the product and service advertisement discourse in family magazines can be classified into two types: direct product or service presentation and problem-solving product or service presentation, both of which utilize 5 linguistic strategies including lexicon selection, reference, metaphors, presupposition, and interview to visualize 6 mindsets about childhood characteristics which include: children should be healthy; children should possess overall development; children should be smart; children should be able to live in the society; children should possess skills; and children should have a promising future. The advertisement discourse delivers a message indicating that children can perfectly develop with the products and services advertised. Sociocultural contexts relevant to the mindsets about childhood characteristics include Discourse Practice, which is related advertisement-making, and Sociocultural Practice that consists of the concepts of family and consumerism.