Abstract:
This study is primarily focused on selected speeches of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. It
investigated the latent meanings that are usually embedded in political speeches and
make them apparent to readers. The primary data for the study were three selected
speeches of Nkrumah. The study used Critical Discourse Analyses as the research
approach to interrogate the issues in the speeches based on the concepts of power and
ideology and how these issues are embedded in the speeches. The study was motivated
by the fact that not much has been done on speeches of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah using the
CDA approach. Therefore, the need to interrogate his speeches using that approsach. The
findings revealed that issues of power and ideology are hidden in the texts and they are
constructed to push forward certain agenda. The findings also revealed embedded
characterization of Kwame Nkrumah as ideologue and unrepentant supporter of socialism
who was also obsessed with African Unity. The findings further disclose Nkrumah’s
penchant for using logical reasoning in his speeches in order to drum home his ideology.
The most interesting revelations in this study was the use of pronouns and metaphors.
The study concludes that issues of power and ideology were subtly constructed and
hidden in the speeches through stringing of arguments via carefully selected pronouns
and metaphors to create power identification and differentials between Nkrumah and his
audience.
Description:
A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA
STUDIES, FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES EDUCATION AND
COMMUNICATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE
STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA, IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY
(COMMUNICATION SKILLS) DEGREE.
JULY, 2017