Performing Gender Identities Through Everyday Student Discourse: A Study of Rev. Fr. Moses Orshior Adasu University, Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines how students at Rev. Fr. Moses Orshior Adasu University, formerly Benue State University, perform, negotiate, and resist gendered identities through everyday discourse in both formal and informal university settings. Drawing on Butler’s performativity theory, Symbolic Interactionism, and Critical Discourse Analysis, the study explores how language functions as a medium for identity construction and social negotiation. A qualitative case study design was employed, involving 20–25 purposively selected undergraduate students. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observations, and document analysis. Thematic and critical discourse analyses revealed that in formal academic spaces, male students tend to adopt assertive and directive communication, while female students employ collaborative and affiliative strategies. In informal contexts, students of both genders demonstrate flexible, hybrid, and context-dependent identity performances. Institutional hierarchies and socio-cultural norms shape these patterns, yet students exercise agency to negotiate and occasionally challenge conventional expectations. The findings underscore that everyday discourse is a critical site for performing and contesting gender identities, highlighting the importance of gender-sensitive pedagogical strategies and inclusive university practices. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between language, culture, and gender in Nigerian higher education.