UNDERSTANDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN NATIONAL DISCOURSE AND THE FAMILY IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIA

Abstract

National discourse can be described as any conversation that
permeates the generality of a nation. Being the most basic unit of a nation, the
centrality of the family to the continuous existence of a nation cannot be over
emphasised. This centrality is reflected in how the national discourse of a nation
descends to the family, and how events in the family can trigger a national
discourse. Predicated on the discourse theory, and using the discourse analysis
method to examine purposively selected cases that underpinned national
discourses in Nigeria and the United States, the paper examined the symbiotic
relationship between national discourse and the family being the smallest unit of
a nation. It was discovered that the relationship between national discourse and
the family is dialectical, which calls for consciousness on the part of every
individual in the family, the media and the nation at large, especially in how
national discourses are triggered.