A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF NIGERIAN TELEVISION SERIES – JENIFA’S DIARY

ABSTRACT

Jenifa’s Diary is a film screened as a television program and has been produced to entertain and educate the Nigerian youths most especially. The main character, Jenifa, is known for her hilarious and rib breaking grammatical blunders. However, more importantly, the series draw attention to prevalent social ills with the hope that such attention will assist in encouraging relevant social agencies to mediate, subsequently in alleviating the problems faced by affected people and communities. Most Jenifa’s Diary viewers focus mainly on the main character's poor linguistic expressions, thereby neglecting the macro level (ideology) implications of the contents of the series. This study however focuses on identifiable social issues and their implications as portrayed in the series. Jenifa, the protagonist, is used as a voice for the oppressed in the advocacy for social justice and communal equity.

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction..............................................................................................1

1.1 Background to the Study.........................................................................1-7

1.2 Statement of the Problem.........................................................................7

1.3 Research Questions....................................................................................7-8

1.4 Aim and Objectives....................................................................................8

1.5 Methodology................................................................................................8

1.6 Theoretical Framework..............................................................................9-10

1.7 Significance of the Study............................................................................10

1.8 Contribution to Knowledge.......................................................................10

1.9 Delimitation.................................................................................................10

1.10 Outline of the Study..................................................................................10-11

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 2.0 Introduction.................................................................................................12

2.1 A Review of Relevant Literature................................................................12

2.1.1 Critical Discourse Analysis......................................................................12-13

2.1.2 Text and Language...................................................................................13-14

2.1.3 The Media and Discourse Analysis.........................................................14-20

2.1.4 The History of Soap Operas....................................................................20-26

2.2 Theoretical Framework..............................................................................26

2.2.1 The Concept of Ideology..........................................................................26-28

2.2.2 Sociocognitive Theory as a Framework.................................................28-29

2.3 Conclusion....................................................................................................29-30

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGICAL DETAILS

3.0 Introduction................................................................................................31

3.1 Data Collection and Selection Techniques: research Design, Sample Location and Size ..................................31

3.2 Applying CDA: Scope of Analysis............................................................32

3.3 Justification of Methodology.....................................................................33

3.4 Conclusion...................................................................................................33

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.0 Introduction .............................................34

4.1 Systematic Presentation and Discussion of Findings...............................34

4.1.1 A Discussion of Dominant Themes ................34-36

4.1.2 Sociolinguistic Situation of Nigeria: The Bilingual Conditions among Nigerian Speakers of English .......36-37

4.2 Language Contact and Language Conflict...............................................37-38

4.2.1 Language Inclusion and Exclusion, Code Mixing and Code Switching.............38-39

4.2.2 Lexicalisation: Names, Naming Practices and Loan Words................39-40

4.3 English Language Dominance in a Multilingual Nigeria. ..........40-42

4.4 The Linguistic Portrayal of Ideologies in Relation to the Nigerian Social realities: A Socio-political Analysis .42-54

4.5 Textual Analysis...........................................................................................54

4.5.1 Lexicology as a Tool for Analysing Ideologies........................................54-57

4.5.2 Semantics as a Tool for Analysis..............................................................57-59

4.6 The Relationship between the Thematic Preoccupations and Linguistic Portrayals to the Nigerian Social Realities ...59-61

4.7 Conclusion.....................................................................................................62

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5.0 Introduction...............................................................................................63

5.1 Summary of Findings...............................................................................63-64

5.2 Recommendation and Conclusion...........................................................64 REFERENCE.................................................................................................65-67