Paradoks Hiperkoreksi: Strategi Mobilitas Sosial melalui Penguasaan Modal Budaya dan Prestise Bahasa

Abstract

Language functions not only as a communication tool but also as a social resource with symbolic value in shaping identity, recognition, and social mobility. This study aims to examine linguistic hypercorrection as a social strategy for achieving legitimacy through the acquisition of cultural capital, linguistic capital, and language prestige. This research employed a qualitative approach with a social phenomenological design. Data were collected through in depth interviews, observation of language practices, and documentation, while analysis was conducted using thematic analysis based on Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural capital, habitus, field, linguistic capital, and symbolic capital. The findings indicate that hypercorrection is not merely a linguistic mistake but a social practice related to identity construction, social acceptance, and efforts to improve social position. The use of prestigious language can enhance perceptions of competence, education, and professionalism, particularly in academic and professional environments. However, excessive and inappropriate language use may produce social stigma and reveal a gap between linguistic capital and social habitus. This study introduces the concept of the “Hypercorrection Paradox,” demonstrating that language can function both as an instrument of social mobility and as a source of social distance. The findings contribute to sociolinguistic studies by highlighting language as a social practice connected to power, prestige, and symbolic resources.