Pronouns as Political Instruments: Constructing Self and Other in Ghanaian Political Discourse
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jcomm.3568Keywords:
Political Discourse, Personal Pronouns, Ghanaian Politics, Identity Construction, Ideological Polarization, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)Abstract
Purpose: This study examines the pragmatic and ideological functions of personal pronouns in Ghanaian political discourse. Specifically, it investigates how political actors strategically deploy pronouns such as I, we, you, they, and he to construct political identities, mobilize audiences, and delineate ideological boundaries within Ghana’s competitive democratic environment.
Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative pragmatic discourse analysis of political speech excerpts reported in major Ghanaian online news platforms, including GhanaWeb, JoyOnline, and CitiNewsroom. Drawing on an integrated analytical framework combining pragmatics, critical discourse analysis (CDA), and communication theory, the analysis examines how pronouns function as indexical and relational resources within mediated political communication.
Findings: The findings reveal that personal pronouns operate as multifunctional communicative resources in Ghanaian political rhetoric. The pronoun we constructs flexible collective identities that shift between partisan and national frames, while I foregrounds leadership ethos, accountability, and moral authority. The pronoun you positions citizens as active participants in national development and democratic responsibility. In contrast, they and he function as ideological boundary markers that construct political opponents as adversaries and personalize political blame.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study contributes theoretically by conceptualizing pronouns as semiotic infrastructures that sustain political narratives and ideological positioning in African democratic discourse. Methodologically, it demonstrates the value of micro-pragmatic analysis for understanding mediated political speech. Practically, the study highlights how pronoun use shapes public perception and political legitimacy, suggesting the need for greater awareness of linguistic framing in democratic communication. Future research should incorporate multilingual political discourse, corpus-based approaches, and audience reception studies to deepen understanding of how pronominal strategies influence political interpretation and civic engagement.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Richard Ayertey Lawer, Yvette Djabakie Asamoah, Priscilla Ama Dati
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