ABSTRACT
The
study examined the influence of parent-child bonding on social orientation of
children in Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State. In this study, an
extensive and relevant literature was reviewed under related sub-headings. The
descriptive research survey design was applied in this study in order to assess
the opinions of the selected respondents with the use of the questionnaire and
the sampling technique. Also, a total of 120 (one hundred and twenty)
respondents were selected and used in this study. Four null hypotheses were
formulated and tested in this study, with the use of the independent t-test and
the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical tools at 0.05 level of
significance to determine the two variables in the study. At the end of the
analysis, the following results emerged:
1.
Parent-child bonding
significantly influence social orientation of children.
2.
Ethnic differences
in parent-child bonding significantly influence adolescents’ social orientation
in the society.
3.
There is no
significant impact of religion on parent-child bonding.
4.
There is no
significant difference of socio-economic status in parent-child bonding on
adolescent’s social orientation of adolescents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Abstract v
Table of Contents vi
CHAPTER
ONE 1
1.0 Introduction/Background
to the Study 1
1.1 Theoretical
Background to the Study 4
1.2 Statement
of Problem 5
1.3 Purpose
of Study 7
1.4 Research
Questions 7
1.5 Research
Hypotheses 8
1.6 Significance
of the Study 9
1.7 Scope
of the Study 10
1.8 Definition
of Terms 10
CHAPTER
TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 12
2.0 Introduction
12
2.1 Parenting-Education
on Children’s Upbringing 13
2.2 Content
of Parenting Education 14
2.3 Parental
Bonds and Children’s Social Adjustment 20
2.4 Consequences of Parent-Child Attachments
and Children’s
Social Adjustment 27
2.5 The Assessment of Attachment in Infancy,
Childhood,
Adolescence and Adulthood 31
2.6 Parental Caregiving, Infant Temperament and
the
Development of Attachment
Relationships 36
2.7 Consequences for Children Emotional
Development and
Social Relationships Beyond the
Family 38
2.8 Summary of Chapter 42
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 44
3.0 Introduction 44
3.1 Research Design 44
3.2 Population of the Study 45
3.3 Sampling Technique 45
3.4 Sample Size 45
3.5 Research Instrument 46
3.6 Administration of Instrument 46
3.7 Procedure
for Data Analysis 46
CHAPTER
FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS 47
4.1 Introduction 47
4.2 Hypotheses Testing 47
4.3 Summary
of Findings 52
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS 54
5.1
Introduction
54
5.2
Summary
of the Study 54
5.3
Conclusions
53
5.4
Recommendations
56
References 58
Appendix 67
CHAPTER ONE
1.0
Introduction/Background
to the Study
Human beings are social creatures that
choose to live among others of their kind. Gradually, beginning in infancy,
humans acquire the behaviours and concepts that fit them for group life. This
process known as socialization, occurs naturally as parents and others guide
the young ones toward the behaviours, values, goals and motives that the
society deems appropriate (Harlows, 2000).
According to Levine (2003), young animals, including man, often form strong
attachments to their man soon after birth. The bond ensures that offsprings
will remain nearby so that they may be nurtured and protected, and taught to
behave adaptively.
Once a fundamental attachment is
established, the parent is apt to do more talking, rocking and holding. This
responsive social stimulation increases the youngster’s eye contact, babbling
and smiling, thereby binding parent and child even more tightly (Yarrow, 2002).
But the progress of true maturity may be measured in part by an individual’s
growing awareness of and interest in, other persons, together with an
appreciation of their rights and desires and a willingness to subordinate
personal wishes to the greater good of the greater number (Yarrow, 2002).
Expanding the child’s social consciousness as he moves toward maturity is an
important training problem. The outcome represents the difference between a
“spoilt, disagreeable, poorly adjusted child and a likable youngster who is
finding acceptable social adjustments”.
A child who is born into a warm
environment as well as peaceful and loving parents, is more likely to grow up
happily, showing love to others, especially his/her peers at school or at home.
Whereas an unwanted child who starts to experience frustration and rejection at
the early age through the attitudes of his or her parents and other adults
around his environment, is more likely to grow up as an unhappy child. By the
time the child matures into an adolescents, the character is made up from his
childhood experiences. This is because, most children do not relate well with
their parents due to the negative and frustrating attitudes of their parents.
Most parents treat their children badly and their ways of behaviour does not
promote cordial relationship between them and their children. However, it is
mainly at the adolescent stage that parents begin to notice deviant behaviours
in the child when he or she fails to meet up with their expectations, without
thinking of the background they have provided for the child’s development
(Adindu, 2005).
Bernhardt (2004) believes that lack of
good and healthy relationship between parents and their children brings about
social awkwardness, which makes him (the adolescent) sometimes to be loud and
noisy, tending to show off, swings quickly from one mood to another,
occasionally reverts to childish behaviour, and has period of rebellion to
authorities of both parents and adult members of the society. All these and
other similar patterns of behaviour of the adolescent may be trying to parents,
difficult to understand and accept.
According to Adamson (2003) constant
criticism of the child, nagging at him, or punishment are more likely to make
him worse in behaviour. Children of nagging and punishing parents, produce
children who are aggressive, wicked, disobedient and negatively adjusted to the
norms and values of the community where they live. The resultant effect is that
these children reared in an unconducive parental environment grow up to
transfer aggression to other children in their surroundings or the school.
1.1 Theoretical Background to the Study
Basically, parents from different
cultures, sub-cultures, and social classes have different values, concerns and
beliefs on life that influence their childbearing practices. The modern
theories in developmental psychology conceive the interaction between the
caregiver and the child as crucial to all psychological growth. A child’s
parents and the emotional atmosphere of the home greatly influence the kind of
person the infant will become. During the early years, parental attitudes
towards the infant are critical. Cross-culturally, these episodes of
face-to-face play are a universal feature of the early interaction between
caregivers (parents) and infants. However, the frequency, duration, and goals
of these episodes differ among cultures. For example, United States mothers
employ more social overtures (such as tickling) that stimulates and excites
their babies; mothers in Kenya are more soothing and quieting in their
initiatives (Vine et al, 1994); while Japanese mothers typically, focus on
establishing mutual intimacy by maintaining eye with their infants as well as
kissing and hugging (Bornstein and Lambs, 2002). Fathers seem to be active
partners, and older siblings and other adults also assume active role in infant
care and participate in social play with babies in many non-western cultures
(Thonick, 1999).
Bowlby (1990) theorized that attachment
is the affectionate bond between infant and caregivers and is vital component
of healthy functioning. Bowlby (1990) believes that every child, like the young
of other animal species, is endowed with a set of built-in behaviours (e.g.
smiling, grasping, crying, gazing) that help to keep the parent nearby and
thereby increase the chances that the child will be protected from danger.
Contact with the parent also, ensures that the baby will be fed, but Bowlby was
careful to point out that feeding is not the basis for attachment. Instead, the
attachment bond has strong biological roots, can best be understood within an
evolutionary framework in which the survival of the species is of utmost
importance.
1.2
Statement of
Problem
A child who is born into a warm
environment as well as peaceful and loving parents, is more likely to grow up
happily, showing love to others, especially his/her peers at school or at home.
Whereas an unwanted child who starts to experience frustration and rejection at
the early age through the attitudes of his or her parents and other adults
around his environment, is more likely to grow up as an unhappy child. By the
time the child matures into an adolescents, the character is made up from his
childhood experiences. This is because, most children do not relate well with
their parents due to the negative and frustrating attitudes of their parents.
Most parents treat their children badly and their ways of behaviour does not
promote cordial relationship between them and their children. However, it is
mainly at the adolescent stage that parents begin to notice deviant behaviours
in the child when he or she fails to meet up with their expectations, without thinking
of the background they have provided for the child’s development.
Lack of good and healthy relationship
between parents and their children brings about social awkwardness, which makes
him (the adolescent) sometimes to be loud and noisy, tending to show off,
swings quickly from one mood to another, occasionally reverts to childish
behaviour, and has period of rebellion to authorities of both parents and adult
members of the society. All these and other similar patterns of behaviour of
the adolescent may be trying to parents, difficult to understand and accept.
1.3
Purpose of Study
The objectives of this study include:
1.
To find out whether the parent-child bonding influences
children’s social orientation in the community.
2.
To examine whether ethnicity affects parent-child bonding
and adolescent’s social orientation.
3.
To assess whether religion influences parent-child bonding
on adolescent’s social orientation.
4.
To find out whether socio-economic status influences
parent-child bonding on adolescent’s social orientation.
1.4
Research
Questions
The following research questions were
raised in this study:
1.
Does parent-child bonding influence children’s social
orientation?
2.
Does ethnicity affect parent-child bonding and adolescent’s
social orientation?
3.
Does religion influence parent-child bonding and
adolescent’s social orientation?
5.
To what extent does socio-economic status influence
parent-child bonding and adolescent’s social orientation?
1.5
Research
Hypotheses
The following hypotheses were
formulated for testing in this study:
1.
Parent-child bonding does not significantly influence social
adjustment of adolescents in the society.
2.
Ethnic difference in parent-child bonding will not
significantly influence adolescent’s social orientation.
3.
There will be no significant impact of religion on
parent-child bonding.
4.
There will be no difference of socio-economic status in
parent-child bonding on adolescent’s social orientation.
1.6
Significance of
the Study
This study will be beneficial to the
following individuals:
1.
Parents would benefit from the study, because the
recommendations and the findings will be an eye-opener to their previous
perceptions of the way they rear their children in the community.
2.
Adolescents would also benefit from this study because it
will enable them to understand the best way to be attached to their parents.
This study will help adolescents to understand that they should relate well
with their parents, and should always ensure that they remain attached to their
parents. Not only that, this study will expose all the styles parents have been
using to rear their children in the family and how they are faired in the
proper up-bringing of the child in the home.
3.
Society – The society, the up-coming researchers, the
students etc, would, through this study, be abreast with the fact that there is
need for parent-child relationship which augurs well for the social orientation
of the child in the society.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study examined the influence of
parent-child bonding on the social orientation of adolescents in Lagos metropolis.
1.8 Definition of Terms
Operational terms were defined in this
study in the following ways:
(1)
Parent-Child
Bonding:
This is a term which expresses the relationship or attachment between parents
and their children. Often times, parents do not have the closeness or good
relationship between them and their children. Children with good or positive
parent-child attachment, are usually good members of a given society, while
those with without good or positive parent-child attachment are usually
children with negative social adjustment in the society.
(2)
Social
Orientation:
This is a term that refers the social behaviour or character of a particular
individual child in a community. This is the totality of an individuals
attitude or behaviour in his/her society.
(3)
Adolescence: This is a period
of life from puberty to adulthood (roughly ages between 12 – 20) characterized
by marked physiological changes, development of sexual feelings, efforts
towards the construction of identity, and a progression from concrete to
abstract thought. It is a transitional state during which youths begin to
separate themselves from their parents.
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