A Rhetorico-sociolinguistic study of memorial announcements in the “Daily Graphic”

Abstract

The present study explored the use of language in Memorial Announcements (MAs). The study aimed to investigate the rhetoric and the language of MAs in the news media through the Swalesian Genre Analysis Perspective, also known as the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) perspective. It further explored how sociocultural factors such as socioeconomic status, gender and age affect the rhetoric and the language used in MAs. The study employed 200 MAs, which were selected purposively from the Daily Graphic and analysed, using qualitative content analysis. The study revealed that MAs have eight moves: caption, epitaph, the profile of the deceased, period, date of demise, appreciation, quotation and identification of announcers. Among these moves were two core moves, four obligatory moves, one optional move and one ambiguous move. Moreover, linguistic items such as in loving memory, anniversary, names and others were discussed. In exploring the sociocultural aspect, the study showed that men were reverend more than women in the MAs in Ghanaian society. The study, in general, revealed a consistent structure and specific linguistic choices in MAs, with variations based on gender, age, and socio-economic status. The study contributes to the scholarship on funeral genres, in general, and Memorial Announcements, in particular. The study also has implications for further research.