ABSTRACT
This study attempted to investigate the
relationship between step-fathering and personality development among SS II
students in secondary schools in Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Relevant literature review was carried
out under sub-headings.
The descriptive research survey was
used to assess the opinions of the selected respondents using the questionnaire
and the sampling technique.
One hundred and twenty (120)
respondents were selected and used as samples to represent the population of
the study.
Five null hypotheses were formulated
and tested using the Pearson-product moment correlation coefficient at 0.05
level of significance.
At the end of the exercise, the
following results were obtained:
1.
Hypothesis one found that there is a significant
relationship between step fathering and personality development of adolescents
in school.
2.
Hypotheses two revealed that there is a significant
difference between step-fathering and social adjustment of students in schools.
3.
Hypothesis three found that there is no significant impact
of step-fathering on personality development of adolescents.
4.
Hypothesis four indicated that there is no significant
effect of step-fathering on personality development of adolescents.
5.
Hypothesis five showed that there is a significant
difference in the academic performance of children who are brought up by their
biological fathers and those who are brought up by their step-fathers.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table of contents vi
CHAPTER ONE 1
1.0
Introduction 1
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 6
1.3
Purpose of the Study 7
1.4
Research Hypotheses 7
1.5
Significance of the Study 8
1.6
Scope of the Study 9
1.7
Definition of Terms 10
CHAPTER TWO: Literature
Review 11
2.0
Introduction 11
2.1 Concept and Nature of Fathering 11
2.2
Theories of Fathering 13
2.3
Historical Perspectives of Fatherhood 16
2.4
Fathers Across the Life Span 20
2.5
Determinants of Father Involvement 23
2.6
Divorced and Single Fathers 27
2.7
Culture and Fatherhood 29
2.8
Consequences of Fathers for Men themselves and their
children 31
2.9
The future of fatherhood 32
CHAPTER THREE: Research Methodology 34
3.0
Introduction 34
3.1 Research Design 34
3.2
Population 34
3.3
Sample and Sampling Technique 34
3.4
Research Instrument 35
3.5
Procedure for Data Collection 35
3.6
Data Analysis Procedure 35
CHAPTER FOUR: Data Analysis and
Presentation of Results 36
4.0
Introduction 36
4.1 Descriptive Analysis of Bio-Data of
Respondents 36
1.2
Hypotheses Testing 38
1.3
Summary of the Findings 44
CHAPTER FIVE: Summary, Conclusions
and Recommendations 45
5.1
Introduction 45
5.2
Summary of the Study 45
5.3
Conclusion 46
5.4
Recommendations 47
References 49
Questionnaire 52
CHAPTER ONE
1.0
Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
Scholars such as Nicholas (1995) and
Adams (2000), have theorized on individual behaviour, socialization process,
fathering process and their influence on adolescents. For instance, when
children watch the behaviour of a model, they quickly imitate both the specific
responses and generalized response patterns of the model, especially as fathers
are viewed as models by their children. Similarly, the child may face the
trauma of neglect when the father who is supposed to be supportive and involved
is not around to give appropriate model, care, comfort and supervision to the
child.
The sociological theory of symbolic
interaction posits that children and infants are ignorant of rules and role of
the society when they are born, and to turn them to socially responsible being,
they must acquire new roles by their interaction with significant others, especially
their fathers, mothers and siblings. This study therefore, will focus on the
relationship between step-fathering and personality development among
adolescent in schools.
As a primary socializing agent the
family’s impact on man is overwhelming and total. This is why it was asserted
by Onyejiaku (1991) that no child is born into the word with the knowledge of
right and wrong rather it is when he/she socializes with societal norms and
values that he/she begins to relate with people around him/her effectively. The
responsibility of raising up a child to become socially and psychologically
well adjusted adult is mainly that of the parents especially, the father
(Martins, 1983).
According to Lamb (1997), a father is a
man who begets a child a man parent, the founder of a family or a race, one who
exercises parental care over another (whether his biological children or his
step-children), a guardian and protector within the family role sharing. Among
parents exists the father is a expected to discipline the child and ensure he
is brought up in a proper way. The father is the most significant figure in the
family the head of the household in all important matters.
Pleck (1987) states that step-fathering
is a system or pattern of fathering in which a man fathers a child/children who
do not biologically belong to him. Step-fathering or step-mothering is a usual
phenomenon in both the developed and the developing countries of the world.
According to Bumpass, et al (1990),
approximately one-half of all marriages are a remarriage for at least one
percent of all children in the United States lived with the mother and a
step-father. As the U.S. Bureau of the Census (1995) put it, an estimated one
third of U.S.A. children live in a step family house hold before they reach
adulthood. Although the remarriage rates are lower, simile, prevalence rates
have been reported in Canada and Europe. The large number of parents and
children who live in a step families has prompted researches to study how well
family members adjust to living in a step family especially where the man is
not the biological father of the child he is living with.
As Lewis (1996) puts it, man’s
fathering style is influenced by his enthusiasm for being a father, his
occupation, his temperament the way the family members relate to each other.
His own father’s behaviour, the images of how to be a father projected by the
mass media and the number of children he has. Lewis went further to states that
no single style of fathering or mothering is right for every one. The father
who uses his style, educates the child socially, emotionally and
intellectually.
Chaton (1995) sees a father as a main
stabilizing influence on his children who may face the out side world with
enough confidence.
However, Pleck (1987) identified four
typologies of step fatherhood to include:
Step-father as distant bread winner,
step father as sex role model and ‘new’ step father who nurturs and is
interested in is young children/step children as well as engaged in a paid job.
Bandura & Walter (1995) asserted
that when children watch the behaviour of a model, they quickly imitate both
the specific responses and generalized response patterns of the model,
especially as father or step father are viewed as models by their children or
step-children. Similarly, the child being brought up by the step father may
face the trauma of neglect when the step father who is supposed to be
supportive and involved is not around to give appropriate model, care comfort
and supervision to the step child or even his own biologically children.
According to Vera (1989) the
sociological theory of symbolic interaction posits that children and infants
are ignorant of rules and roles of the society when they are born. To be
socially responsible beings, they must acquire new roles by their interaction
with significant others especially their step-fathers, their biological
fathers, mothers and siblings. Anayo (1990) asserted that through interaction
with the step father who disciplines, directs and nurtures the step child, the
child acquires social norms, values, and skills within the culture.
Fein (1988) states that the
step-fathers role in traditional perspective is being aloof and distant. Fein
(1988) added, that the step father is respected by fear by the step child or
children who learned to know him very well. Unlike the mother who cared for the
home and raised the children.
Howells (1990) sees the step fathers as
inculcating attitudes and behaviours that their step children needed for
education, moral vocational and personality development. According to Howells,
the phases of step fathering are
(a)
Step fathering during prenatal stage, that is child birth
education.
(b)
Step fathering during infancy.
(c)
Step fathering during school age.
(d)
Step fathering during adolescence stage.
(e)
Step fathering during post parental stage that is adulthood
and
(f)
Ground step fatherhood.
Howells (1991) further stated that step
fathering style determines how comfortable an adolescent feels when dealing
with individual on daily basis hence step fathering style could be permissive,
authoritative, authoritarian or Laissez Faire and the children brought up
through one or two of these step fathering styles, could affect their
personality development in life.
1.2
Statement of the
Problem
The most turbulent state of human
development is agreeably the adolescent stage. The adolescent is characterized
by identify crises aggressive, hostile and manifest destructive behaviour. This
problem relates to step father’s attitudes and styles in reaching out to the
adolescent since it affects his confidence level in relating with people he
comes across when the adolescent step child is not able to relate well, he
becomes withdrawn, feels rejected, depreciated and frustrated. Invariably his
level of concentration in school, motivation to learn and performance in
subjects becomes negatively affected. It is a truism that step fathering style
of discipline, occupation, temperament and occupation, of the step father
variously influence the students’ personality development his social
orientation and other factors. This study in any case examines the relationship
between step fathering and personality development among SS II students in
Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State.
1.3
Purpose of the
Study
The main purpose of this study is the
relationship between step fathering and personality development among senior
secondary school students in Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Other specific objectives of this study
are:
(1)
To find out the extent step-fathering relates to the
personality development of children in secondary schools.
(2)
To find out whether there is a significant influence of
step-fathering and the social adjustment of students.
(3)
Find out whether there is gender difference in
step-fathering style.
(4)
To find out whether culture has significant impact on step
fathering.
(5)
To find out whether step-fathering has significant influence
on the academic achievement of students in secondary schools.
1.4
Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses will be
formulated and tested in the study:
1.
There will be no significant relationship between
step-fathering and personality development of adolescents in schools.
2.
There will be no significant difference between
step-fathering and social adjustment of students in schools.
3.
There will be no significant cultural import in step
fathering style on the personality development on the personality development
of adolescents in schools.
4.
Step fathering will not significantly affect personality
development of adolescents.
5.
There will be no significant difference in the academic
performance of children who are brought up by their biological fathers and
those brought up by their step-fathers.
1.5
Significance of the
Study
This study will be of great benefit to
the following individuals:
1.
Step fathers: They would benefit
from this study because it will enable them to have a better insight into the
essence of forming a good role model to the adolescents or children.
As a father, one
has the responsibility of high moral uprightness and discipline. With this
study, step fathers would be able to understand the fact that they need to help
their step children by giving the best they can in order to bring them up in a
proper manner so that they would adjust well and develop good personality.
2.
Children: Step-children and
other young ones in the society would learn from this study because it will
enable them to be able to understand deeply the essence of attachment to their
fathers be it step-father or real father. With the findings and recommendations
of this study, students or adolescents would have better insight into the need
for properly up bringing of children by parents, especially the father or
step-father as the case may be.
3.
Society: The society will
also benefit from the findings of this study in that it will help the people in
the society to be able to understand better the role of step-fathers and
fathers to their children or step children as the case may be.
4.
Upcoming researchers, readers, scholars and the general
public would learn from the findings and recommendation of this study.
1.6
Scope of the Study
This study will cover the relationship
between step-fathering and personality development among senior secondary
school II students in the Mainland local government area of Lagos State.
1.7
Definition of Terms
Some operational terms were defined in
the study thus:
1.
Step-fathering: A system or
situation where one is brought or trained by mother who has been remarried.
2.
Personality: This is the state
of existing as a particular person. The whole nature and character of an
individual.
3.
Development: The act of action
of developing or the state of being developed a gradual unfolding.
4.
Authoritative
parenting: Parents
who always give orders or command to their children and expect them to obey
them without minding the outcome of the command, one who possesses the power to
give orders.
5.
Authoritarism
parenting:
Parents who favour and demand obedience to rules and laws whether or not they
right or wrong.
6.
Laissez-fair
parenting:
Parents who form the principle of allowing their children’s activities to
develop without control.
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