Bambang Prastio, Ahsani Maulidina, Agung Rinaldy Malik, Achmad Tantowi Azis
Addressing river pollution and understanding the role of children in environmental conservation are essential for maintaining ecosystem health and sustainability. This study used positive discourse analysis to explore children's discourse about river pollution in Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia. Data were collected using walk-and talk ethnographic interviews with 15 children aged 7 to 11 years. The findings reveal that these children employed five discursive strategies: (1) nomination: metaphor, comparison, and cultural practices; (2) predication: positive attitude in the forms of disposition and behavior; (3) argumentation: contrast and parallelism; (4) perspectivisation, involving a type of religious representation that includes references to the Creator, the Prophet, and hadith; and (5) intensification and mitigation: mood choice and expression of surprise. These strategies serve as persuasive tools implicitly communicated to various stakeholders to promote a culture of sustainable living. If implemented, they would provide clean water, locations for biodiversity exploration, and safe recreational areas. However, these findings cannot be generalized. Future research could expand upon this work by utilizing the list of questions developed in this study to focus on children from various age groups who may have different perspectives and cultural approaches to river pollution. © 2025 Peace and Conflict Studies. All rights reserved.
Indonesian Language Education, Faculty of Letters, Universitas Negeri Malang, Indonesia
