META-FUNCTIONS OF GENDER STEREOTYPES IN ABIMBOLA ADUNNI ADELAKUN’S UNDER THE BROWN RUSTED ROOFS

Abstract

Gender Stereotypes are the general overview about the roles both male and female play. The stereotypes do not essentially reflect reality; rather they represent culturally shared beliefs about what particular individuals should be like. This study investigates the meta-functions of gender stereotypes and the representation of gender roles in the text “Under The Brown Rusted Roofs” using Michael Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistic as the theory with a special focus on its transitivity systems: process and participants; interpersonal: mood and modality and textual: theme and rheme. The text is analysed through purposive sampling of excerpts that reflects instances of gender roles and stereotypes in the text. It was discovered in the text that men are seen to be active, superior, head of households, decision makers and also demonstrators of social power while the women are submissive, emotional, powerless, and occupy a subordinate position at all levels of social life under the control of men. Thisresearch will be of great benefit to linguists, individuals and general public. It will promote effective and active participation of both genders and their contribution to the development of the society.