The Vice-presidential candidates for the National Democratic Congress in Ghana and the Democratic Party in the US in their 2020 elections used similar communication strategies during their nomination acceptance addresses. This finding is contained in new research co-published by GIJ lecturer Dr Etse Sikanku and Nana Kwame Osei Fordjour, a PhD candidate at the University of New Mexico in the United States. The purpose of the research was to analyze the nomination acceptance speeches of two candidates from two different jurisdictions particularly given the lack of research on female discourses in the political space.
According to the authors, two major theories underpinned the study: the functional theory of political campaign discourse and framing. Some of the strategies employed include: statements based on concrete lived experiences, inclusive language, practical discourse and the foregrounding of women’s issues.
The study concludes that: “the frames in Professor Opoku Agyeman’s speech serve as a source of inspiration for young girls from humble beginnings; call for age, gender, and religious equality; and indicates her resolve to advocate for the vulnerable in society. On the other hand, the frames in Vice President Harris’s speech reiterate her competence for the role, calls for racial equality and decency in America, and advocates for gender parity, particularly in the political space.”
The research was published in the well-regarded International Journal of Communication.
Please click here for the full study: https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/18056/3679