Textual Construction of Women In select Nigerian Pop Music Videos: Acritical Discourse Approach

Abstract

Identity construction is an aspect of language formation and or representation. Extant literatures abound on identity construction in advertisements, political and computer mediated discourses, which have variously identified forms and nature of identity creations of groups. These studies however have not adequately accounted for identity creation of women in Nigerian music videos. Hence, this study investigates the way women are represented and constructed in selected Nigerian pop music videos. Adopting Fairclough’s DiscourseasSocialPractice perspective to Critical Discourse Analysis, which also subsumes Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar, the study determined how language shapes social identities and interactions, knowledge systems, and beliefs in Nigerian pop music videos. Two music videos each of Davido, Iyanya, and wizkid where purposively chosen, based on their popularity and top ranking in the pop music billboard chart in Nigeria for 2019 and subjected to critical discourse analysis. Findings reveal that women are constructed in pop music videos as dependents, subservient, expressive, affectionate, warm,andsexual entertainers to their male partners. The impression presupposes that women’s worth is just to satisfy men’s sexual appeals. This is considered as an unjust and inequitable representation of womanhood and a fairer depiction advocated.

Keywords: Gender discourse, gender stereotype, identity creation, pop music,