ABSTRACT
This study focuses on Language, gender and culture: The perspective of the ihitte/uboma people. The aim of this research work is to provide a better understanding of the role of language, gender, and culture in Ihitte/Uboma society and Its objectives are to examine how language is used to construct gender roles and hierarchies in Ihitte/Uboma society, to explore how language is used to exercise power and control in Ihitte/Uboma society and to analyze how gender and language are used to express culture and identity in Ihitte/Uboma society.The data was collected via interviews with four competent speakers of Igbo, comprising three females and a male, asking them about the language, gender roles and culture of the people (specifically, the Ihitte/Uboma people). The specific location for the metadata was Ihitte/Uboma a local government area in Imo state and people who were met were all from there. In this research, the decision on who provides the data was likely based on criteria such as their competency in Igbo language, familiarity with Ihitte/Uboma culture, and their ability to articulate insights on language, gender roles, and culture and also sourcing data from existing database. The Cultural Studies Theory framework was employed for the analysis of the data.The analysis explores language, gender, and culture among the Ihitte/Uboma people using the Cultural Studies Theory framework. It discusses cultural hegemony, representation, identity politics, cultural materialism, intersectionality, and semiotics within the community. The study found that language in Ihitte/Uboma society constructs gender roles and hierarchies through linguistic markers, expressions, and traditional gendered terms of address, reinforcing unequal power dynamics within the community. The research concludes that the relationship between language, gender, and culture among the Ihitte/Uboma people demonstrates how language is intricately intertwined with societal norms and power structures, shaping gender roles, expressions of identity, and cultural practices within the community.The study is recommended for further research which will delve deeper into specific linguistic features and cultural practices within Ihitte/Uboma society to elucidate their impact on gender dynamics and cultural identity.
