Power Relations and Social Representation in The Arabic – Indonesian Translation of Ta’lim Al-Muta’allim: A Critical Discourse Analysis
Keywords:
Critical Discourse Analysis, Translation Ideology, Teacher–Student Power Relations, Ta'līm al-Muta'allimAbstract
Text translations such as Ta'līm al-Muta'allim serve as the primary reference for students' moral and manners development, with the potential to instill a particular perspective on authority, obedience, and teacher-student relationships. However, the translation process often involves unconscious shifts in meaning and ideological adjustments, whether through word choice, sentence structure, or the translator's language style. This study aims to reveal how the lexical strategy in the Arabic-Indonesian Translation of Ta'līm al-Muta'allim shapes power relations and social representation in the context of pesantren. The research uses the Fairclough model of Critical Discourse Analysis approach, focusing on three linguistic values: experiential, relational, and expressive. Data in the form of source text (ST) and translated texts (TT) were analyzed qualitatively by examining distortions, euphemisms, over-/under-lexicalization, additions, and ideologically charged diction. The results showed that the translator used these strategies to normalize the teacher-student hierarchy, reinforce the value of obedience, and adapt the moral message to the pesantren culture. These values work together to shift the domain of experience from theological to ethical learning, making Translation not just a transfer of meaning but also a means of forming Islamic identity and symbolic legitimacy in traditional Islamic education.
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