The Interpretation of Ecological Preservation in the Awig-awig (Customary Law) Text of Tenganan Pegringsingan Village: Positive Discourse Analysis

Abstract

The earlier research on critical ecolinguistics tended to criticize the negative impacts of
language in encouraging ecologically destructive behavior. However, this present study acts differently,
it focusses on analysing positive impacts of language in preserving the environment. This present study
aims at analysing the interpretation of ecological preservation revealed in the awig-awig (customary
law) text belonging to Tenganan Pegringsingan Village. The data of the research were taken from
lexical items, phrases, clauses or sentences used in the written text of the awig-awig. The collected data
were analysed using Positive Discourse Analysis (PDA) developed by Stibbe (2017). The findings of
the present study showed that the interpretation of ecological preservation in the awig-awig text took the
form of preservation of natural ecology, preservation of human ecology, and preservation of spiritual
ecology. The three findings above correspond to the Tri Hita Karana (THK) concept which was
considered the ecosophy (philosophy of ecological harmony) of the study.