Chapter III
Methodology of Research
Method of Research
In this research, I use descriptive method. Travers as citied in Sevilla Consuelo ( 2007 p.94),
state that “Descriptive method are to describe the nature of a situation as is exists as the time of the
study and to explore the causes of particular phenomena. Another statement about the use of descriptive
method is from Gay (as citied inSevilla Consuelo, 2007, p.94), who says that description research is the
research way of collecting data to make sure the hypothesis or to answer questions of the subject of
study.
The function of Qualitative research is to seek and to understand the world from the perspective
of those living in it (Hatch, 2002, p.7). Through qualitative research can help people to analyze
something in this world by using perspective of whoever lives at that era, place or situation around the
topic.
Therefore from the statements above, I prefer to use descriptive qualitative method which has relation
with this research. Descriptive qualitative method is chosen because that has a relation to analyze the
topic. My research also looking for understanding the world of racism, in this case black people
through their poem. In this method I describe racism in society as portrayed by Langston Hughes’s
poems.
Subject of Research
My subjects of research are some poems which were written by Langston Hughes. I found these
poems in E-Book Langston Hughes Poem2012published by PoemHunter.com – the World’s Poetry
Archive. Actually Langston Hughes has a lot of poems which divided into 3 parts that are single poem,
group poem, and group translation poem. From his entire poem there are several poems which contain
racism. Furthermore, I look for poems that have strong racism in it. Thus, I found 6 poems which
interest to analysis and contain with racism.
I took six poems of Langston Hughes that are; Children Rhyme (1954), Cross (1945), I Too (1964),
Dinner Guest: Me (1964), Merry Go Round (1941), and The Negro Mother and (1961).
Approach
The meaning of approach according to Oxford Learner’s Pocket Dictionary is the way of
dealing with somebody or something. Approach is the road to correlate somebody or something with
the other. Approach can be describes like a bridge which connect two things.
Literary criticism can be classified into 4 types (Abrams, 2010, p.6). All types of classification are
related to the elements in literary situation, (Abrams) that is literary works, author, and universe.
Literary work which connects author and literary work is called expressive approach. Literary work
which connects reader and literary work called pragmatic approach. Then literary work which has
relation between literary work and universe is called mimetic approach. Literary work which considers
the literary work as the one that standing alone, and free from three elements is called objective
approach.
So, the analysis in this research uses mimetic approach. Mimetic approach is a criticism that
looks at literary work as imitation of universe aspects, reflection or description of world or life
(Abrams, 2010, p.8). The imitations of universe aspect are contained with everything that happened in
the world. Life also can be describe and reflected to some literary works especially in poem. The
situation, the weather, human interaction and many more can be used as an imitation.
The mimetic theories are always talking about two categories, the imitable and imitation. Imitation is
also made by a term specifics to the arts, distinguishing the object of imitation with other human
activities. The tragedy or phenomenon of life is always became an interesting thing to imitate by people
through some literary works.
I use this approach, because this research is relates to the aspects that reflects human life which contain
the racism, especially through poem. Furthermore, the approach in this analysis also emphasizes the
imitation of universe or human life, and for my research I will analyze the racism based on the
experience of black people through poem.
Technique of Collecting the Data
The beginning of this analysis procedure of collecting data are collected the books which have
relation with the title of this analysis. The focus on this analysis is about racism of Langston Hughes’s
poems. Books are collected from several sources such as from library, book store, and internet. After
that I read all the poems of Langston Hughes and determined the poems which I analyze, by looking
for poem that contained strong racism. I read the entire poem one by one in Langston Hughes eBook
online. From all those poems finally I choose some poems that are Children Rhymes, Cross, Dinner
Guest Me, I Too, Merry Go Round, and the Negro Mother to analyze. Those poems that I choose have
some strong racism than the other poems in there.
Then I read those 6 poems and made some lists to separate the lines of poems based on theory
the specification of Racism. I put them into the data table as the object of this analysis especially in
Racism which is reflected by Langston Hughes’s Poems. The last is I looked for the data of American
racism in the time those poems were written through history of racism, black African American life on
internet or some relevant source.
Technique of Analyzing the Data
The data will be analyzed by using qualitative, that is using in descriptive data by Miles and
Huberman (1994: 10-12). This analysis data uses steps below:
a. Data Reduction
Data reduction is procedure to choose, to concentrate, to make simple, plus change ‘the data’
which look from ‘written-up notes’ or text. In the reduction in this case I choose and read some poems
of Langston Hughes, find out the racism which contained with those poems and source the experience
of Langston Hughes and other black people.
b. Data Display
Data display is element of ‘analysis’ that make us know the data itself, and analyze that based
on comprehend. Display data in this study is begun to analyze and describe the meaning of Hughes’
poems through mimetic approach. I match and correlate some sources of racism into those poems of
Langston Hughes. The sources which relate with six poems based on the year of those poems born or
the situation of African American life will be used for analysis poems
c. Verification data
In verification data is take a conclusion about a racism that portrayed in those poems of
Langston Hughes poems. The verification in here is talking about the explanation of racism in Hughes’
poems.