Language and Ideologies in Mission Statements of State and Private Universities in Ghana

Timothy Hottoh-Ahiaduvor; Richard Ayertey Lawer; Yvette Djabakie Asamoah; Jemima  Sam

doi:10.37249/jlllt.v5i2.1626

Authors

Timothy Hottoh-Ahiaduvor Department of English, Ho Technical University, Ghana https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7999-7061
Richard Ayertey Lawer Department of English, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0734-2837
Yvette Djabakie Asamoah Department of English, University of Media, Arts and Communication, Ghana
Jemima Sam Department of Applied Linguistics University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37249/jlllt.v5i2.1626

Keywords:

Critical Discourse Analysis, Ideology, Mission statement, Higher Education, Ghana , Language and Power

Abstract

This study examines how state and private universities in Ghana construct institutional identities and ideological orientations through their mission statements. Drawing on Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework, the study analyses 63 mission statements to uncover the ideological categories encoded in these texts and the linguistic resources through which they are realized. The findings reveal thirty-two ideological orientations, with educational, developmental, professional, leadership, and national ideologies most frequently foregrounded. Linguistically, ideologies are naturalized through declarative sentence structures, non-finite clauses, nominalization, evaluative adjectives, and strategic representations of social actors. A comparative analysis shows that state universities predominantly align with national development, scientific advancement, and public service discourses, whereas private universities, especially faith-based ones, mobilize religious, entrepreneurial, global, and moral ideologies to differentiate their institutional identities. These patterns demonstrate that mission statements operate as ideological technologies that mediate institutional legitimacy, respond to socio-political pressures, and position universities within both local and global educational markets. The study contributes to Critical Discourse Studies by illuminating how higher education institutions in the Global South recontextualize globally circulating discourses within culturally and politically specific contexts. It also offers insights into how language functions as a strategic tool in institutional branding, policy alignment, and identity construction.

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Author Biographies

Timothy Hottoh-Ahiaduvor, Department of English, Ho Technical University, Ghana

Timothy Hattoh-Ahiaduvor is a Lecturer at Ho Technical University, Ghana. His research focuses on linguistic landscape studies, academic discourse, and development communication, with particular interest in indigenous communication systems. His work explores how language, space, and culture intersect to shape social meaning and community engagement within Ghanaian contexts.

Richard Ayertey Lawer, Department of English, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA

Richard Ayertey Lawer is a graduate researcher in Composition and Rhetoric at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His work examines language, ideology, and identity in institutional and public discourse, with particular attention to West African educational contexts. His research interests span Critical Discourse Analysis, sociolinguistics, academic discourse, and the political economy of higher education.

Yvette Djabakie Asamoah, Department of English, University of Media, Arts and Communication, Ghana

Yvette Djabakie Asamoah is a Lecturer at the University of Media, Arts and Communication, Ghana. Her research interests include second language learner writing, L2 pronunciation, pragmatics, and the morphology of Dangme. Her work explores how learners develop linguistic competence across contexts, with a particular focus on indigenous Ghanaian languages and communicative practices.

Jemima Sam, Department of Applied Linguistics University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

Jemima Sam is a postgraduate student in the Department of Applied Linguistics at the University of Education, Winneba. Her research focuses on classroom interaction and language use in educational settings, with particular interest in how teacher–learner engagement shapes learning outcomes. She is committed to advancing scholarship in applied linguistics and improving pedagogical practices in Ghanaian classrooms.

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