Civilization Research: Journal of Islamic Studies
Vol 5 No 2 (2026): Civilization Research: Journal of Islamic Studies

Social Penetration Theory in SBY dan Merry Riana’s Communication in the Mentor

Ardi Winangun (Universitas Paramadina, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Chobin Martanto (Universitas Paramadina, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Edison Bonar Tua Hutapea (Universitas Paramadina, Jakarta, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jul 2026

Abstract

An intimate relationship between two people can develop through several factors, including the length of their interaction and equality in education, economic status, and culture. This study aimed to examine how such closeness was formed by analysing the communication between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Merry Riana as recorded in the book The Mentor. The study employed qualitative text analysis with discourse analysis of the conversations between the two figures, supported by the Miles and Huberman analytical model. The results showed that Merry was able to reach the innermost layer of SBY’s personality, so that the fourth stage of social penetration was achieved. Through Merry’s questions, SBY revealed his most personal stories, including accounts that had previously been little known to the public. This success stemmed from a long period of interaction since 2011 and SBY’s family’s attention to Merry’s track record as a motivational speaker.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

civilizationresearch

Publisher

Subject

Religion Economics, Econometrics & Finance Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences

Description

Civilization Research: Journal of Islamic Studies focus on publishing articles that contain ideas, ideas, research results, and literature studies in the areas of the Islamic Studies Civilization Research: Journal of Islamic Studies scope are: Islamic Economics and Finance Islamic Politics, Law, and ...