How Power and Public Communication Shape Social Identity in Gorontalo City
A 2026 study by Universitas Islam Bandung reveals how official government communication in Gorontalo City shapes power relations and collective social identity.
Public communication is not just about sharing information. In Gorontalo City, Indonesia, it has become a powerful tool for shaping authority, defining social norms, and constructing collective identity. This is the key finding of a 2026 peer-reviewed study by Uliyanto Y. Mauda, a communication scholar from Universitas Islam Bandung, published in the International Journal of Integrative Sciences (IJIS).
Drawing on official news published by the Gorontalo City Government, the research shows how policy narratives, public service announcements, and city branding messages actively construct ideas of legitimacy, responsibility, and belonging. The findings matter because they highlight how everyday government communication influences how citizens see themselves, their city, and those in power—often without public debate.
Why Public Communication Matters Today
Cities increasingly rely on official digital channels to communicate with residents. These platforms do more than announce policies. They frame problems, set priorities, and define what counts as acceptable behavior.
In Gorontalo City, official communication addresses issues such as waste management, flood mitigation, public sanitation, bureaucratic reform, urban development, and humanitarian aid. According to Mauda, these messages form a “discursive arena” where power is exercised symbolically. Who speaks, how problems are defined, and which solutions are promoted all shape public understanding.
This issue is highly relevant as governments worldwide expand digital governance. When communication flows primarily in one direction—from authorities to citizens—it can strengthen efficiency, but it can also limit participation and silence alternative perspectives.
How the Research Was Conducted
The study uses a qualitative case study approach, focusing on Gorontalo City as a real-world example of urban public communication.
Mauda analyzed a large set of official news articles published on the Gorontalo City Portal, covering topics such as:
1. Public service quality and sanitation
2. Waste management and disaster mitigation
3. Job auctions and bureaucratic restructuring
4. Urban development and city branding
The analysis combined thematic analysis with critical discourse analysis, allowing the researcher to examine not only what was said, but how language was used to produce authority, legitimacy, and social categories.
Key Findings: Power Works Through Language
The study identifies several recurring patterns in Gorontalo City’s public communication.
Social Identity: Who Belongs and Who Does Not
The research shows that social identity in Gorontalo City is built through repeated representations of “us” and “them.”
Responsible citizens are portrayed as cooperative, clean, productive, and supportive of government initiatives. Those who fall outside these categories—such as people associated with littering, disorder, or inefficiency—are implicitly framed as problems to be corrected.
Humanitarian narratives, such as aid delivery to Aceh Tamiang, expand this identity into a moral community defined by empathy and solidarity. In this way, public communication does not only govern behavior but also produces emotional and symbolic bonds among citizens.
Real-World Implications
These findings have important implications for policymakers, media practitioners, and civil society.
For governments, the study highlights the need for more inclusive and dialogic communication, especially in diverse urban settings. Clear messaging should not come at the cost of silencing public voices.
For citizens, the research raises awareness of how everyday policy language shapes perceptions of responsibility, morality, and belonging.
For scholars and journalists, the study demonstrates the value of analyzing official communication as a form of power—not just information.
As Mauda explains, communication is not neutral. It actively constructs reality, legitimizes authority, and defines social identity.
“Public communication functions as a social practice that shapes reality, power relations, and the symbolic boundaries of ‘us’ and ‘them’ within the city,” Mauda writes, reflecting on Gorontalo City’s official discourse.
Author Profile
Uliyanto Y. Mauda, M.Si. Universitas Islam Bandung,
Source
Journal Article Title: Contestation of Power and the Formation of Social Identity in Communication Practices in Gorontalo City
Journal: International Journal of Integrative Sciences
Publication Year: 2026
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