A Corpus-Assisted Critical Discourse Study of Modality in Social Transformation Campaigns in Nigeria

By

MOHAMMED ADEMILOKUNObafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria &

Georg Forster Postdoctoral Fellow, Technische Universitat, Chemnitz, Germany

Background to the Study

• The importance of social transformation in Nigeria (Omilusi, 2017)

• The role of language in social transformation campaign in Nigeria

• Democratic and digital cultures as facilitators of social transformation in Nigeria (Opeibi, 2015)

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Statement of the Problem

• Only sociological studies on social tranformation in Nigeria (Saale, 2014; Uzuegbulam, 2015; Mustapha, Gbonegun & Mustapha, 2016; Akanbi & Beyers, 2017)

• Paucity of studies on the discourse from a linguistic perspective in Nigeria

• Lack of focus on the interpersonal elements of the discourse, especially as realised through the system of modality

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Objectives of the Study

• Identification of modal resources in social transformation advocacy in Nigeria

• Qualitative analysis of the modal resources

• Quantitative analysis of the modal resources

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Methodology

• Advocacy campaign texts, advertisements, discussions, debates,tweets, transcripts of phone-in programmes as data

• Focus on loss of values, democratic improprieties, insecurity andgender-based discrimination

• Data spanning March 2013 to March 2018• Focus on texts of state actors and non-state actors

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State Actor Corpus Text Type Number Text Tokens

Speeches 8 6,079

Radio Commentaries 8 2,855

Printed materials 8 2,132

Jingles 15 1,829

Total 12,895

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Corpus Continued (Non-state Actors)

Text Type Number Text Tokens

Speeches 5 1,082

Interviews 5 7,552

Jingles 5 455

Newspaper Comments 45 1,629

Tweets and Facebook

Posts

45 2,047

Total 12,7657

Non-state Actors (Male)

Text Type Number Word Tokens

Social media posts (Tweets

and Facebook posts)

39 1,734

Interview 4 4,513

Newspaper comments 45 1,629

Total 7,8768

Non-state Actors (Female)

Text Type Number Word Tokens

Speeches 4 1,082

Interview 1 3,039

Social Media Posts (Tweets and

Facebook posts)

6 313

Total 4,434

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Theoretical Framework

• Corpus-assisted critical discourse approach • Concordance hits and Key word-in-context for quantitative

evidencing, where applicable using AntConc• Chi-square test using the R-programming language on R-studio

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Deontic Modals

-Modals used to influence, people, actions and situations-They are significantly used in the discourse for calling the people to certain positive actions for the transformation of NigeriaData:-You must be determined to work hard, you must ensure to be a person of integrity…and you must not see yourselves as young people of southwest alone…You must make contacts across the country, you must build bridges across the country; you must see yourself first and foremost as a Nigerian citizen.-Today it saddens my heart that this government has gotten to the point where they intimidate and threaten the lives of its citizens instead of addressing the concerns of the killings and abduction of its citizens @obyezeks @BBOG_Nigeria@emekakickoff ...We must rise up now.

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Deontic Modality (Concordance for Must: SA-68 (NRF: 52.7); NSA-40 (NRF: 31.3)

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Collocates of mustCollocates of must

be doneXXXXXXXkeep to proceduresXXXXriseXXXdetermine toXXface the musicXXbe determinedXXbe patrioticXXbe stoppedXXthink of peaceXXfight corruptionresistbe respectedHave a change ofcheck

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Gender-based Concordance Hits for must (MNSA-26 (NRF:34.3); FNSA-14 (NRF:29.3)

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Concordance Hits for should (SA-34(NRF:26.4); NSA-54(NRF:38.4)

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Collocates of should

Positive collocates of

should

Neutral

Collocates of

should

Negative

Collocates of

should

Nominal

Collocates of

should

be empoweringXX conduct background check

Religious leaders

be committedXX mark the facesXX GovernmentXX

focus on core values JudgesXXrestructure NigeriaXXXXXbe banned WeXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXYouXXXFemale genital mutilation

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Gender-based Concordances for should (MNSA-21 (NRF:63.1); FNSA-28 (NRF:26.7)

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Epistemic Modality

• Such modality “marks the degree/and or source of a speaker’s commitment to the embedded proposition” (Papafragou 2006:1689).

• Epistemic modality realised through modal verbs such as may, might, will, should, can, could and must

-Dishonesty will rob you of your reputation, respect and your influence.

-Let us be clear, a fire brigade approach for a third political force in Nigeria may notfail in its aim to ascend the throne. However it will implode like the APC for asimple reason

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Concordance Hits for will (SA:80 (NRF:60.5); NSA:77(NRF: 57.2)

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Collocates of Will

Positive Collocates (Subject) + will Negative

Collocates

Be well Corruption XXX kill NigeriaHelp restore campaignXXX rob youdeal with;help Children be stolen

Dishonesty triumphGodXXX surviveCommonwealthEvilOur nation

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Gender-based Concordance Hits for will: MNSA-45 (NRF: 57.1); FNSA-27(63.1)

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Frequencies of modals in the corpus

Modals Absolute Frequency Normalised Frequency

per 10,000 Words

must 105 40.9

will 154 60.01

should 83 32.3

can 71 27.6

would 45 17.5

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CrosstableSOURCE MODALS

Can Must Should Will would Row Total

FNSA 20 13 28 28 11 100

Chi S. Cont. 1.075 4.676 5.494 0.710 0.151

N/R Total 0.200 0.130 0.280 0.280 0.110 0.217

N/C Total 0.274 0.120 0.337 0.185 0.244

N/T Total 0.043 0.028 0.061 0.061 0.024

MNSA 18 27 21 45 8 119

Chi Cont. 0.041 0.032 0.010 0.902 1.139

N/R Total 0.151 0.227 0.176 0.378 0.067 0.259

N/C Total 0.247 0.250 0.253 0.298 0.178

N/T Total 0.039 0.059 0.046 0.98 0.017

SA 35 68 34 78 26 241

Chi Cont. 0.273 2.303 2.069 0.016 0.249

N/R Total 0.145 0.282 0.141 0.324 0.108 0.524

N/C Total 0.479 0.630 0.410 0.517 0.578

N/T Total 0.076 0.148 0.074 0.170 0.057

Column Total 73

0.159

108

0.235

83

0.180

151

0.328

45

0.098

460

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X^2 df P(> X^2)

Pearson: 19.144 8 0.014108

Phi-Coefficient: NA; Cramer's V: 0.144

Association Plot

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Conclusion

-Modals in the discourse communicating interpersonal meanings, reflecting the commitment of the text producers towards their propositions-Passion of text producers for a transformed Nigeria reflected in significant use of must by both state actors and non-state actors-Use of the modals reflective of the ideological and power configurations of the Nigerian society

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References

• Ajiwe, U, Okwuosa, S. & Chukwu-Okoronkwo, S., 2015. Nigerian videofilms as effective tool for social transformation: A critical appraisal of Fola Toro. American Journal of Social Science Research, 1 (2), 57-62.

• Akanbi, S. & Beyers, J., 2017. The church as a catalyst for transformation in the society. Theological Studies, 73(4), 1-8.

• Fairclough, N. 2015. Language and Power. London, Routledge.

• Entmann, R. 1993. Framing: Toward classification of a fractured paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43(4), 51-58.

• Opeibi, T., 2015. New media and the transformation of political cultures in Nigeria: Exploring a corpus-based discourse approach. REAL Studies, 9, 209-231.

• Opeibi, B., 2016. Digital media and civic engagement in Nigeria: A corpus-based discourse study of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s facebook. In: R. Taiwo & T. Opeibi (Eds.), The Discourse of Digital Civic Engagement: Perspectives from the Developing World. New York: Nova Publishers, pp. 1-34.

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Appreciation

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

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