Theorising the Nexus Between Gender, Domestic Science Education, and Economic Empowerment in Southern Nigeria

This study theorises the nexus between gender, domestic science education, and women's economic empowerment in Southern Nigeria, spanning the South West, South East, and South South geopolitical zones. Existing empirical literature in Nigeria has examined gender and empowerment, or education and income, in relative isolation, and no theoretical framework has been developed that captures the interactive, mutually constitutive relationships among gender ideology, domestic science education exposure, and economic agency in Southern Nigerian women's lives. The study employs a multi-site grounded theory design, engaging 90 purposively selected women across Lagos, Enugu, and Rivers states through in-depth interviews and life history narratives. Data analysis follows the constructivist grounded theory approach, with constant comparative analysis and theoretical sampling until saturation. The Feminist Political Economy Theory and the Social Capital Theory jointly inform the theoretical sensitising framework. Original contributions include a substantive grounded theory of gender-education-empowerment intersectionality in Southern Nigeria, a novel typology of empowerment pathways among Home Economics-educated women, and a middle-range theoretical framework applicable to gender-responsive curriculum design. Findings are expected to provide the first inductively derived theoretical model of this nexus from the Southern Nigerian context. Recommendations address gender policy architects, Home Economics departments, and the Ministry of Women Affairs. Keywords: gender, domestic science education, economic empowerment, grounded theory, Southern Nigeria.