Social Stereotypes and Pre-Wedding Photo-Discourse on Nairaland, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examines social stereotypes in pre-wedding photo-discourse on Nairaland, using a social semiotic approach. It specifically explores how oversimplified conceptions and language interact to implicitly communicate attitudinal meaning in this discussion board. Findings show that semiotic signifying features such as metaphor, collocative synonyms, symbolism and address terms are significant to the construction of social stereotypes which particularly suggest expository, sarcastic, indifferent, condemnatory and justificatory attitudes. From these attitudes, not many of the commenters are against the idea of pre-wedding photo shoot, but very many of them seem to be saying that the phenomenon of pre-wedding photo does not deserve the degree of social attention devoted to it. The study therefore concludes that the concept of pre-wedding photo shoot in Nigerian online environment is deficient of positive reception, as commenters  consider the practice as a waste of time, a forum for sexual pleasure, a channel of self-proclamation, and a means of religious evocation.