AGENCY FOREGROUNDING AND IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION IN SINGLE PARENTING DISCOURSE IN ENUGU METROPOLIS

This study examines agency foregrounding and identity construction in single parenting discourse in Enugu metropolis, focusing on how single parents use language to assert responsibility, negotiate identity, and resist cultural stigma. Employing a qualitative research design, the study analyzed data generated through semi-structured interviews with thirty purposively sampled single parents drawn evenly from Enugu North, Enugu South, and Enugu East, using an integrated framework combining Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Narrative Identity Theory (NIT). Textual analysis of the interview data, examined at the textual, discursive, and social-practice levels, reveals that single parents consistently foreground agency through action verbs, modal constructions, first-person pronouns, and evaluative language that position them as active decision-makers rather than passive victims of circumstance. Empirical findings indicate that identity construction occurs through narrative strategies of positive self-presentation, moral positioning, and resilience, with participants blending Standard English and Nigerian Pidgin to negotiate legitimacy within a culturally stigmatizing environment. The study further shows that single parents actively resist dominant ideologies and stereotypes through reframing, repetition, and assertive declaratives that redefine single parenthood as a competent and morally sound family form. The study concludes that discourse functions as a critical resource through which marginalized identities are asserted, negotiated, and reconstructed. Recommendations include the development of inclusive social policies, stronger institutional support systems, and discourse-sensitive approaches to understanding contemporary family structures in Nigeria.