A Morpho-Syntactic Analysis of Gender-Fair Language in Advertisements of Cosmetic Products in Ghana
Esther Serwaah Afreh 
& Obed Atta-Asamoah
Issue: Vol.4 No.11 Article 7 pp.1391-1403
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234117 | Published online 24th November, 2023
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Gender-fair language challenges and dismantles prevailing societal gender preconceptions. Cosmetic advertisements have been criticized for unfair language choices that perpetuate gender stereotypes. This study is a morphosyntactic examination of gender-fair language in cosmetic advertisements. The social constructionist theory underpins the study. Thirty (30) product packages and labels for the Ghanaian market were used in this qualitative descriptive survey. Gendered terms were analyzed on the morphological level using Quirk et al.’s (1985) functional principle of word categorization. The data collected revealed that Gender-unfair language is prevalent in cosmetic advertisements. Product names, descriptions and claims often use gendered nouns, pronouns, adjectives, phrases of different types and imperative clauses. This reinforces the idea that certain beauty concerns and products are exclusively tailored to specific genders. Gender-unfair language in cosmetic advertisements results in a limited representation of beauty ideals and practices. The use of inclusive language and representations that challenge gender stereotypes and promote diversity was recommended for cosmetic advertisers. The paper provides insight into academic discourse and practical approaches in gender, communication and marketing studies.
Keywords: Advertisements, Cosmetics, Gender-Fair Language, Stereotype, Morphosyntactic
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Dr. Esther Serwaah Afreh is a Senior Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. She received her Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Ghana, Legon. She holds an MA in Cognitive Linguistics from the University of Brighton, UK, and an MPhil in English from the University of Cape Coast. Her research has concentrated on issues in Cognitive Semantics, that is, on conceptual content and its organisation in language.
Obed Atta-Asamoah is a graduate student in the Department of English, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He is a language tutor at the College of Distance Education, University of Cape Coast, Ghana. (Hwidiem Learning Center) and also at Mim Senior High School in the Ahafo Region. He has about eight years of language teaching experience and adequate knowledge in language research. His research interest includes systemic functional linguistics, political discourse and language and gender. He has published in Studies in Linguistics and Literature.
Afreh, Esther Serwaah & Atta-Asamoah, Obed. “A Morpho-Syntactic Analysis of Gender-Fair Language in Advertisements of Cosmetic Products in Ghana.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.11 (2023): 1391 -1403. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234117
© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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