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CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
In this chapter, in order to answer the research questions as mentioned in Chapter I, the researcher would like to discuss the method used in this research.
This chapter contains some parts. They are the research method, research setting, research subjects, research instruments and data gathering technique, data analysis
technique, and research procedure.
A. Research Method
The research method that is used by the researcher is qualitative approach. This provides descriptive information about the research topic. According to Ary
et al. 2010, ―the qualitative approach is a study of social and behavioral
phenomena like human behavior. It seeks to understand and interpret human and social behavior as it is lived by participants in a particular social setting
‖ p. 420. Strauss and Corbin 1998 add that
―qualitative research does not merely emphasize the findings on quantity, but it is acceptable that some of the data may
be quantified with the background information of the subjects under the study. However, the more important thing is its interpretation
‖ p. 11. This research focuses on content or document analysis. It is a kind of
approach that enables the researcher to study human behavior in an indirect way, PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
32 through an analysis of their communication Fraenkel Wallen, 2008, p. 472. In
addition, Ary et al. 2010 state ―content or document analysis is a research
method applied to written or visual materials for the purpose of identifying specific characteristics of the material such as textbooks, newspapers, web pages
speeches, television programs, advertisements, or other types of documents‖ p. 457. The researcher chose this method since it can be the best way to analyze the
phenomenon related to swear words as portrayed in 12 Years a Slave movie.
B. Research Setting
The researcher conducted the research in a place where some literatures which became the source of information like books, articles or journals related to
linguistics study were available. The purpose of choosing the place is to make it easier for the researcher to obtain the data and the information.
C. Research Subject
Lofland and Lofland say that ―the main data of qualitative research are
utterances and actionsbehaviors ‖ as cited in Moleong, 2004, p. 157.The subject
of the research were in the form of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences taken from the dialogues of Black and White characters in a movie entitled 12 Years a
Slave. This subject was chosen because there are a lot of utterances containing swear words. The White characters of the movie are Tibeats, Mr. Epps, and
Mistress Epps. Meanwhile, the Black characters are Solomon Northup, Patsey, and Clemens.
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D. Research Instruments and Data Gathering Technique
