CLETUS, JENNIFER IJEOMA (2026) AGENCY FOREGROUNDING AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION IN SINGLE PARENTING DISCOURSE IN ENUGU METROPOLIS. Other thesis, GODFREY OKOYE UNIVERSITY, ENUGU.
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AGENCY FOREGROUNDING AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION FOR SINGLE PARENTING IN ENUGU STATE[2].pdf Download (848kB) |
Abstract
This study investigated agency foregrounding and identity construction in single parenting discourse in Enugu metropolis. The study was guided by three objectives, to examine how single parents use language to foreground their agency in everyday discourse, to explore the discursive strategies used to construct and negotiate positive identities in the face of cultural stigma, and analyze how discourse functions in resisting dominant ideologies and stereotypes associated with single parenting. A qualitative research design was adopted, and data were collected through semi�structured interviews with thirty single parents selected through purposive sampling across Enugu North, Enugu South, and Enugu East. The data were analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis and Narrative Identity Theory, focusing on linguistic features such as pronoun use, transitivity, modality, and narrative structure. The findings revealed that single parents actively foreground their agency by presenting themselves as responsible decision-makers who manage household responsibilities and provide for their children. The study also found that participants strategically construct positive identities by emphasizing resilience, moral responsibility, and competence in response to societal stigma. Furthermore, the findings showed that single parents employ discursive strategies such as narrative reframing and positive self-presentation to resist dominant ideologies and challenge negative stereotypes. The study concluded that discourse serves as a powerful resource through which single parents negotiate identity, assert agency, and reconstruct social meanings. It contributes to existing knowledge by highlighting the role of language in shaping social reality and redefining marginalized identities within the context of single parenthood.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Other) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Arts > Faculty of Law > Faculty of Management and Social Sciences > Faculty of Education > Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences |
| Depositing User: | CHIBUEZE EZE |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Sep 2026 12:38 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Sep 2026 12:38 |
| URI: | http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/6346 |
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