Vol.:(0123456789) Discover Global Society (2024) 2:89 | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44282-024-00118-9 Discover Global Society Research The nexus between multilingualism and criminality in West Africa through the lens of symbolic interactionism theory Ronald Osei Mensah 1,2  · Princess Kingful 3  · Gifty Serwah Mensah 3 Received: 19 August 2024 / Accepted: 4 November 2024 © The Author(s) 2024 OPEN Abstract This study examines the relationship between multilingualism and criminality through the lens of symbolic interactionism theory. A qualitative approach was adopted, utilizing an ethnographic research design to explore the intricate connec- tions between communication symbolism and deviant behavior within the Ghanaian cultural context. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with three (3) categories of participants: ten (10) deviant individuals, including criminals from Ankaful Prison and community members, eight (8) community members, and four (4) law enforcement officers. A purposive sampling method was employed to ensure participants possessed relevant expertise and firsthand knowledge of communication symbolism in deviant subcultures. The findings indicate that communication through multilingualism serves as an effective symbol of group identity and connection. Furthermore, the complex dynamics surrounding the stigmatization and labeling of language symbolism significantly impact the self-esteem of deviant individuals and their interactions with law enforcement. To effectively identify and understand such communication symbolism within deviant and criminal subcultures, this study suggests that policymakers establish a collaborative task force comprising law enforcement officers, community leaders, and cultural experts. Keywords Communication symbolism · Criminality · Cultural identity · Identity construction · Language communication · Multilingualism 1 Introduction Research in the field of language has brought, to the fore, a thematic area concerning the critical role of language in shaping socio-legal realities. Language, in this vein, has been considered a powerful tool in the transformation of social conduct into identity categorizations, and a majority of studies in this field have analyzed the legal space as a site of linguistic inequality [16, 32]. Like the case of this current study, which focused on Ghana, the primary focus of analysis in most past studies such as [8, 10, 24, 30] have been the social and institutional hegemony of multilingual- ism ideologies that are, persistently, detrimental to speakers of minority languages in procedural contexts. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s44282-024- 00118-9. * Ronald Osei Mensah, ronald.mensah@ttu.edu.gh; Princess Kingful, princess.kingful@ttu.edu.gh; Gifty Serwah Mensah, gifty.mensah@ttu.edu.gh | 1 Social Development Section, Centre for Languages and Liberal Studies, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, Ghana. 2 Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. 3 Communication and Media Studies Section, Centre for Languages and Liberal Studies, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, Ghana.