Beyond economic recession: Representations of the unemployed in Okoh’s Who is Afraid of Job Interview

Abstract

Recent studies on unemployment and Nigerian drama focalise a specific narrative: economic recession kindles joblessness. Straying from existing  scholarly works, this research argues generally that any developing economy incurs stagnation or recession. Whereas stagnation signals unimproved or  optimal economic growth, recession indicates a consequence of economic policy error. Economic recession explains a situation whereby the growth of  Gross Domestic Product (GDP) recedes in negative figures in two consecutive quarters, and manifests on paperwork. Therefore, it does not directly result  in unemployment. Adopting the textual analysis approach which facilitates the revelation of underlying meanings in a script, this study critically examines  Julie Okoh’s Who is afraid of Job Interview for other factors that generate unemployment in Nigeria. The ignorance of university graduates on  interview ethics combines with their largely theory-based knowledge to worsen the menace of unemployment in the country. Thus, the study concludes  that, beyond Economic Recession, unpreparedness and lack of social skills required at interview sessions play contributory roles in generating  joblessness in Nigeria.