Pragmatic Analysis of Presupposition in Vaccination Discourse in Kenya

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science

© 2025 by SSRG - IJHSS Journal

Volume 12 Issue 5

Year of Publication : 2025

Authors : Elsie Njeri Kirimo, Humphrey Kirimi, Christine Atieno

10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V12I5P108

How to Cite?

Elsie Njeri Kirimo, Humphrey Kirimi, Christine Atieno, "Pragmatic Analysis of Presupposition in Vaccination Discourse in Kenya," SSRG International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 12,  no. 5, pp. 78-92, 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V12I5P108

Abstract:

Presupposition is what the speaker assumes before making an utterance. This research aims to identify the types of presuppositions used in vaccination discourse by stakeholders in the Ministry of Health in Kenya. This study aimed to classify and describe presuppositions used to shape vaccination discourse in Kenya. Anchored in Sperber and Wilson's Relevance Theory, the study employed a descriptive design, analyzing vaccination discourse on infectious diseases from ten purposively selected speeches by Kenyan health authorities, sourced from mainstream media archives. The researcher transcribed all expressions and identified the presupposed utterances. This study reveals that presuppositions, especially existential, factive, lexical, structural, and non-factive presuppositions, are instrumental in profiling the discourse surrounding the topic of vaccination in Kenya. It classifies and examines 54 expressions in ten formal extracts to demonstrate how each type of presupposition is aimed at influencing how the audience interprets a message, minimizes resistance, and increases clarity. The study also found that presuppositions played a key role in shaping vaccine communication. Presuppositions helped to present vaccination as necessary and already accepted, guiding interpretation without appearing forceful. Non-factive presuppositions appear only occasionally in the vaccination discourse, while counterfactual presuppositions are absent. This study suggested that further researchers examine presuppositions in other contexts. This research adds to the body of work on presupposition, extends the application of Relevance Theory, and highlights global tendencies in pragmatic strategies within public discourse, thereby offering a basis for enhancing health communication practices.

Keywords:

Pragmatics, Presupposition, Relevance, Vaccination, Infectious Diseases.

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