Exploring the Dialectical Relationship between National Discourse and the Family in a Contemporary World

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 overemphasised. 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.