A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF CULTURAL FESTIVALS AND SOCIAL COHESION AMONG THE PEOPLE IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Cultural festivals and social cohesion in Southwestern Nigeria through a discourse analytical lens. Existing literature has established those cultural festivals serve as important sites for cultural preservation, identity construction, and community participation. However, much of the scholarship has largely focused on the sociological and anthropological significance of festivals, with limited attention to the role of discourse particularly how language, symbols, and communicative practices function in fostering social cohesion. This gap necessitates a theoretical re-examination of festivals as discursive spaces where meanings are negotiated and collective identities are reinforced. Adopting a qualitative, theoretical methodology, the study draws on secondary sources, including scholarly publications, cultural texts, and documented festival practices. The analysis is anchored on Discourse Theory, Ethnography of Communication, and Social Cohesion Theory to interrogate how verbal and non-verbal elements such as speeches, chants, proverbs, and symbolic performances operate within festival contexts. Illustrative references are made to cultural events such as the Ibadan Cultural Festival to ground the discussion in lived cultural realities. The study argues that discourse within cultural festivals functions as a critical mechanism for constructing shared meanings, reinforcing communal values, and promoting social integration. It is expected that the findings will reveal that festivals are not merely celebratory events but dynamic communicative spaces where social bonds are strengthened, cultural continuity is ensured, and collective identity is actively negotiated. The study concludes by emphasising the need to foreground discourse in understanding the role of cultural festivals in sustaining social cohesion in contemporary Nigerian society.   Keywords: Cultural Festivals, Social Cohesion, Southwestern Nigeria, Language and Society