Decoding Representation of Ethnicity Identity and Ideology in ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’: An Audience and Critical Analysis

Abstract

For a decade now, Nigeria’s Nollywood, like such other social institutions as education, government and religion, has continued to attract popular discourses about issues and social groups in the country. Considering that media narratives are part of the complex processes involved in the construction of meanings by informing the ways we make sense of the world around us. This study therefore questioned the point of intersection between theories and Nigerian’s pragmatic experiences in the face of socio-cultural constructions around identity, ideology and representation of ethnic difference through BiyiBandele’s movie an adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie’s literary narrative entitled ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’. However, the assumption that the media (films) can bring about certain deliberate and unwitting characteristics and behaviors anchored this study on critical reader and active audience theory. The research therefore focused on Decoding Audience representation of ethnicity, identity, and ideology in Half of a Yellow Sun. This study employed a mixed research instrument FGD and critical thematic analysis to determine the audience perception of ethnicity, identity and ideology in the movie. However, 24 super fans of the movie were selected through the snow balling technique and determined from among the three major ethnic groups of Nigeria for the FGD. Findings from the study indicated that the dominant themes of ethnicity, identity and ideology expressed and were largely perceived by the southeastern discussants as inciting, as the movie brought back unpleasant memories of the war and Nigerian’s ethnic diversity. As a result of the inciting nature of portrayals in the movie according to the Focus Group Discussants, the study therefore recommended that it is high time stakeholders in the Nigerian media industry especially Nigerian censorship board made genuine and conscious effort to change certain inciting and divisive contents featured in most Nollywood movies before they are taken to the market.