Elite Power Relations In Health Development Politics: A Discourse Analysis Of Stunting Prevention In Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to analyze elite power relations in the politics of health development through a discourse analysis of stunting prevention policies in Indonesia. The research employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytical design within a critical paradigm framework. Data were collected through the analysis of policy documents, official reports, and public narratives related to stunting, and were examined using Critical Discourse Analysis influenced by the perspectives of Michel Foucault and Norman Fairclough.The findings reveal that stunting policy is constructed through dominant discourses, such as the narratives of a “stunting crisis” and the “first 1,000 days of life,” which function as instruments of policy legitimation. Political and bureaucratic elites play a dominant role in producing and reproducing policy discourse through their control over knowledge, data, and indicators. At the implementation level, power relations are dynamic, characterized by processes of adaptation and resistance at the local level. However, the dominance of a top-down approach and an emphasis on quantitative indicators contribute to a gap between policy formulation and actual practice.This study concludes that stunting prevention policy is a product of complex power relations among elites, discourse, and social practices. Therefore, a more inclusive, participatory, and context-sensitive policy approach is needed to enhance program effectiveness. This study contributes to the development of political analysis in health development by integrating power relations and discourse analysis within public policy studies.