An Examination of the Communicative Functions of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s Inaugural Addresses

Mark NARTEY

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-42771-8_4

An Examination of the Communicative Functions of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s Inaugural Addresses

Mark NARTEY^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Book Chapters | Papers in Conference Proceedings › Book Chapter › Research › peer-review

Abstract

This study draws on insights from political discourse analysis and critical discourse analysis to examine the inaugural addresses of Ghana’s president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (NADAA). It analyzes how NADAA’s discourse is imbued with both pragmatic and ritualistic properties, given the ends to which it is put. Three main communicative functions of his addresses are discussed: (1) accepting a call to duty and making promises, (2) providing hope and inspiration, and (3) enacting a ritualistic performance. These functions are expressed via linguistic resources such as metaphor, topoi, lexicalization, and positive self-presentation. Together, they enable NADAA to sculpt the image of a patriot in touch with the needs of the Ghanaian people as well as articulate an uplifting message aimed at offering (re)assurance to the populace, while acting as a unifier. This chapter illustrates the role of language and semiosis in how ‘political rituals’ are conceptualized and performed.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Communication and Electoral Politics in Ghana: Interrogating Transnational Technology, Discourse and Multimodalities
Editors	Eliasu MUMUNI, Mark NARTEY, Ruby PAPPOE, Nancy HENAKU, G. Edzordzi AGBOZO
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Pages	57-71
Number of pages	15
ISBN (Electronic)	9783031427718
ISBN (Print)	9783031427701
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42771-8_4
Publication status	Published - 2024
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024. All rights are reserved.

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10.1007/978-3-031-42771-8_4

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NARTEY, M. (2024). An Examination of the Communicative Functions of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s Inaugural Addresses. In E. MUMUNI, M. NARTEY, R. PAPPOE, N. HENAKU, & G. E. AGBOZO (Eds.), Communication and Electoral Politics in Ghana: Interrogating Transnational Technology, Discourse and Multimodalities (pp. 57-71). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42771-8_4

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NARTEY, M 2024, An Examination of the Communicative Functions of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s Inaugural Addresses. in E MUMUNI, M NARTEY, R PAPPOE, N HENAKU & GE AGBOZO (eds), Communication and Electoral Politics in Ghana: Interrogating Transnational Technology, Discourse and Multimodalities. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp. 57-71. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42771-8_4

An Examination of the Communicative Functions of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s Inaugural Addresses. / NARTEY, Mark.
Communication and Electoral Politics in Ghana: Interrogating Transnational Technology, Discourse and Multimodalities. ed. / Eliasu MUMUNI; Mark NARTEY; Ruby PAPPOE; Nancy HENAKU; G. Edzordzi AGBOZO. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2024. p. 57-71.

Research output: Book Chapters | Papers in Conference Proceedings › Book Chapter › Research › peer-review

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NARTEY M. An Examination of the Communicative Functions of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s Inaugural Addresses. In MUMUNI E, NARTEY M, PAPPOE R, HENAKU N, AGBOZO GE, editors, Communication and Electoral Politics in Ghana: Interrogating Transnational Technology, Discourse and Multimodalities. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. 2024. p. 57-71 Epub 2024 Feb 11. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-42771-8_4

An Examination of the Communicative Functions of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s Inaugural Addresses

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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Afterword: Democracy, Education, and Public Scholarship

Communication and Electoral Politics in Ghana: Interrogating Transnational Technology, Discourse and Multimodalities

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