CONSTRUCTING PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERIENCE  THROUGH TRANSITIVITY: MENTAL AND RELATIONAL PROCESSES  IN INDONESIAN POP LYRICS  (A CASE STUDY OF MANGU BY FOURTWNTY)

Ramadan  Adianto Budiman; Rawuh Yuda Yuwana

doi:10.70210/amrj.v4i1.181

Authors

Ramadan Adianto Budiman Universitas Surakarta
Rawuh Yuda Yuwana Universitas Musamus Merauke

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70210/amrj.v4i1.181

Keywords:

transitivity, systemic functional linguistics, mental processes, relational processes, Indonesian pop song lyrics

Abstract

This study investigates how psychological experience and subject positioning are constructed through the transitivity system within contemporary Indonesian pop song lyrics. Drawing on Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), the analysis examines the distribution and function of mental, relational, and material processes in Mangu by Fourtwnty, a song characterized by introspective and minimalist lyrical expression. Using qualitative clause-level analysis, the study identifies process types, participant roles, and experiential configurations to explore how agency and inner experience are grammatically realized. The findings reveal a dominant pattern of mental and relational processes, while material processes appear minimal and frequently negated or modalized. This distribution positions the lyrical subject primarily as a Senser and Carrier rather than an Actor, foregrounding internal reflection, relational tension, and constrained agency over physical action. The transitivity configuration constructs a linguistic representation of psychological suspension, where experience is internalized and action remains deferred. By extending previous SFL-based studies on Indonesian cultural texts, this research demonstrates how transitivity functions as a grammatical resource for encoding subjectivity and experiential meaning in non-institutional discourse. The study contributes to discourse stylistics and functional linguistic research by highlighting the role of process selection in shaping representations of emotional experience in contemporary popular music.

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