SOFT LIFE VS SURVIVAL MODE: COMPETING DISCOURSES OF ASPIRATION AMONG GEN Z STUDENTS IN GODFREY OKOYE UNIVERSITY, ENUGU STATE.

Edward, Chijioke and Nwatu, Chidinma Brenda and Iloanwusi, Vitalis Chinemerem SOFT LIFE VS SURVIVAL MODE: COMPETING DISCOURSES OF ASPIRATION AMONG GEN Z STUDENTS IN GODFREY OKOYE UNIVERSITY, ENUGU STATE. GOUNI INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, AND PEDAGOGY (GIJELP), 1 (1). 207- 219.

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Abstract

This study examines the competing discourses of “soft life” and “survival mode” among Generation Z students in Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu State, with a focus on how these discourses shape aspirational language. Anchored in Critical Discourse Analysis, the study adopts a quantitative survey design using a structured questionnaire distributed via Google Form to 100 and 200 level students in the Faculty of Arts. Data collected from 32 respondents were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The findings reveal that “soft life” is a dominant aspirational discourse associated with comfort, ease, and financial stability, while “survival mode” reflects the lived realities of academic pressure, financial constraints, and continuous struggle. The study further establishes that socio economic status significantly influences how students construct and express their aspirations, shaping their expectations and life goals. The coexistence of these discourses indicates that students navigate between idealized lifestyles and structural limitations. The study concludes that aspirational language among Gen Z is not merely expressive but ideologically loaded, reflecting broader socio economic conditions. It recommends the integration of discourse awareness into educational practices and the strengthening of institutional support systems to address student realities.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Arts > Faculty of Law > Faculty of Management and Social Sciences > Faculty of Education
Depositing User: Uchenna Eneogwe
Date Deposited: 01 Jun 2026 14:15
Last Modified: 01 Jun 2026 14:15
URI: http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/5708

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