Social Constructs and Power Relations in Online Interactions of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Undergraduates: A CDA Approach

Abstract

This study investigates how social constructs and power relations are enacted and negotiated in the online interactions of undergraduates at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Anchored on the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the research examines the discursive strategies students employ to assert identity, negotiate authority, and reinforce or resist dominant social norms within digital spaces. Drawing on data from WhatsApp group chats and other online platforms frequently used by students, the study identifies patterns in language use that reflect underlying ideologies related to gender, status, ethnicity, and academic hierarchy. Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of CDA provides the analytical lens for examining both the textual features and the sociocultural contexts of these interactions. The findings reveal that online discourse among students is not merely communicative but also serves as a site for the construction and contestation of power. The researcher concludes that there is a complex interplay of language, power, and social identity in contemporary academic communities.