Amal Jariyah atau Eksploitasi? Analisis Hegemoni Wacana Kesejahteraan Guru

Abstract

Education is a conscious process of creating a learning environment that meets the needs of learners as they develop their optimal potential. Underlying quality education is the role of teachers, who significantly impact the development of national education. This study examines the use of hegemony in statements made by the Minister of Religious Affairs regarding teacher welfare—statements framed within Islamic values. The research aims to analyze the forms and functions of hegemony within the Minister's characterization of the teaching profession as a noble calling. A descriptive qualitative method was employed, utilizing Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis model. The analysis focused on a speech delivered by the Minister of Religious Affairs at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta, on September 3, 2025. The findings reveal how the public official's statements demonstrate the role of hegemony in shaping ideology to perpetuate power. In the context of cultural hegemony, the statement serves as an effective vehicle for sacralizing the teaching profession by symbolizing it through concepts of eternal spiritual reward and acts of worship. The analysis incorporates religious, cultural, and educational dimensions in maintaining the stability of this hegemony. The study concludes that the spiritualization of the teaching profession functions as an ideological strategy to normalize disparities in welfare and sustain dominance without resorting to coercive power.