Content Analysis of the Level of Hegemonic Masculine Traits in Ghanaian Alcohol Advertisements

This study employs ( Connell, R. W. (1987). Gender and power: Society, the person, and sexual politics (1st ed.). Stanford University Press.) theory of hegemonic masculinity to conduct a quantitative investigation of the level of hegemonic masculine traits employed in (N = 182) Ghanaian alcoholic (beer and bitters) video ads on YouTube and Facebook. Drawing from existing literature, the study identified nine hegemonic masculine traits (Aggressive, Bonding, Dominance, Heavy Drinking, Physical Fitness, Responsibility, Sexuality, Success, and Weakness). The results show that alcohol ads commonly portray medium to extremely high levels of hegemonic masculinity while mostly promoting bonding, sexuality, and dominant traits. The study found no significant difference between the levels of traits. However, there was a significant difference between responsible and successful traits. This study adds knowledge on the cross-cultural applicability of Connell's theory and traditional masculine traits emphasized in Ghanaian alcohol ads. It aims to inspire further quantitative research on why advertisers use HMTs in alcohol advertisements and how such portrayals affect consumers’ cognitive and affective responses.