Discursive Constructions of Female Power in Yoruba Cinema: A Socio-Cognitive and Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis Across Two Production Epochs

Anthony Williams; Francis Olabisi Jegede

Authors

Anthony Williams -
Dr. Francis Olabisi Jegede Lagos State University of Education, Oto/Ijanikin, Lagos Nigeria

Keywords:

Critical Discourse Analysis, Yoruba cinema, female power, socio-cognitive model, multimodality, Nollywood, gender ideology

Abstract

The issue of gender representation has been the subject of scholarly investigation over time. However, a comparative investigation of how power is ascribed to women in the 80s and the 2020s among the Yoruba of South West Nigeria, especially from a Critical Discourse perspective, remains sparse in the literature. This study thus investigates how power is discursively ascribed to women in Yoruba films from two distinct periods: the 1970s–1980s and 2020–2025. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), it examines how female characters are represented in terms of agency, authority, and social influence. Drawing on van Dijk's socio-cognitive model and elements of multimodal discourse analysis, the study compares themes, dialogue, visual framing, and character roles across select films. Findings reveal significant ideological shifts in gendered power dynamics, reflecting broader sociocultural transformations and resistance to patriarchal norms. The study contributes to discussions on media, gender representation, and the intersection of culture and power in African popular culture.

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