TABLE
OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the study
1.2
Statement of the Problem
1.3
Purpose of the Study
1.4
Research
questions
1.5
Research hypotheses
1.6 Significance
of the study
1.7
Delimitation of the study
1.8
Operational Definition of
Terms
CHAPTER
TWO
LITERATURE
REVIEW
2.1
Studies on recreation and its
value
2.2
Studies on social life
2.3
Recreation and social life
2.4
Studies on the female
personality
2.5
Academic duties and recreation
2.6
Connections between recreation
and emotional needs
2.7
The female psyche and
leadership
2.8
Summary of literature review
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This
chapter focuses on the following
sub-headings:
3.1 Research
Method
3.2 Population
of the study
3.3 Sampling
and Sampling technique
3.4 Research
Instrument
3.5 Reliability
of the Instrument
3.6 Validity
of the Instrument
3.7 Reliability
of the Instrument
3.7 Procedure
for Data Collection
3.8 Procedure
for Data Analysis
CHAPTER
FOUR
RESULTS
AND DISCUSSIONS
This chapter presents the results and
discussions from this study under the following subheadings:
4.1 Presentation
of Demographic Data
4.2 Analysis
of Research Questions
4.3 Analysis of Data and Testing of Hypotheses
4.4
Discussion of Findings
CHAPTER
FIVE
SUMMARY,
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
REFERENCES
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Recreation, according to Hurd and Anderson
(2006), is an activity that people engage in during their free time, that
people enjoy, and that people recognize as having socially redeeming values.
The researchers argued that “ Unlike leisure, recreation has a connotation of
being morally acceptable not just to the individual but also to society as a
whole, and thus, we program for those activities within that context.” What
this means is that, while recreation activities can take many forms, they must contribute
to society in a way that is socially acceptable. So, obviously, activities
deemed socially acceptable for recreation can change over time as a result of
societal dynamics. Examples of recreational activities are endless and include
sports, music, games, travel. Reading, arts and crafts and dance (Johannes,
2004). Based on Wilmort’s (2006) work, recreation is beneficial in that it
helps participants to: relax, reduce stress, stay healthy, refresh their
senses, refill their energy, build self-esteem and sharpen their skills.
Recreation can also serve as a job opportunity (Davis, 2006). Davis described
recreational sports as important to the quality of life and communities.
According to him, it has long been associated with benefits to health problems such
as heart disease, diabetes and bowel cancer. The author wrote that recreation
also helps decrease overweight and obesity numbers with regular physical
activity. He noted that the activities create positive outcomes such as
confidence, self-respect, self-esteem, trust, self-reliance and leadership
abilities. Other benefits of recreational sports include reduction of stress,
improvement of happiness, character building, improvement of interaction with
diverse sets of people, and contribution to time management (Ikulayo, 2006).
Social life is a strong deep or close
association or acquaintance between two or more people that may range in
duration from brief to enduring. This association may be based on inference ,
love ,solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social
commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the context of social,
cultural and other influences. The context can vary from family or kinship
relations, to friendship, marriage, relations with associates, work, clubs,
neighbourhoods, and places of worship. They may be regulated by law, custom or
mutual agreement, and are the basis of social groups and society as a whole
(Bogdani, 2001). According to the
Macmillan Dictionary (2011), social life refers to “the time you spend enjoying
yourself with friends” or “the opportunities to do enjoyable things that exist
in a particular place.” Berger (2001)
made an interesting analysis. He described a human being as a social animal,
and that the tenor of his social life is one of the most important influence on
his mental health.
Without positive, durable relationships,
both our minds and our bodies fall apart. We begin life dependent for survival
on the quality of relationship with our primary caregiver, usually our mother.
And the nature of that relationship typically influences all others in our life
(Berger, 2001).Our survival as a species similarly hinges on our capacity for
social living. Most of human history was spent in small groups in which each
was dependent on the others for survival, and evidence suggests this is the
condition to which we are best adapted.
According to Maslow’s (1954) hierarchy of
needs, the need for love and belongingness is the third level of human needs,
next to physiological and safety needs. In his opinion, humans need to feel a
sense of belonging and acceptance among their social groups, regardless if
these groups are large or small. Examples of large social groups may include
clubs, co-workers, religious groups, professional organizations, sports teams
and gangs, while examples of small social connections include family members,
intimate partners, mentors, colleagues, and confidants. Humans need to love and
be loved – both sexually and non-sexually – by others. Many people become
susceptible to loneliness, social anxiety, and clinical depression in the
absence of this love or belonging element. This need for belonging, for a successful
social life, may overcome the physiological and security needs, depending on
circumstances.
Based on the foregoing, it becomes obvious
that the definition of social life cannot be complete without the mention of
interpersonal relationships with other human beings. Relationships with others
are the backbone of a realistic social life. This social life could however be
satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
Recreation is a concept with a lot of
benefits, Thus, in a situation where youths, in the prime of their lives, and
who make up the vast majority of undergraduates, aim to enjoy the best of
social lives, one might be led to explore the field of recreation to ascertain
whether it can wield a significant influence on social life or not.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The Nigerian society is filled with a lot
of disgruntled youths; many of whom are victims of poverty, frustration and a
lackadaisical government. These hardships tend to embroil these youths with
feelings of lethargy, despair and a constant temptation to to commit
atrocities, thus contributing to the ills of society.
How does recreation help cage these
frustrations, address the despair and
help these youths channel their energies towards positive and productive
purposes? This is what this study aims to find out.
1.3
Purpose of the Study
This study aims to achieve the following
purpose:
·
To determine the influence of recreation
on the interpersonal skills of female undergraduates
·
To determine the influence of recreation
on the self-confidence of female undergraduates
·
To determine the influence of recreation
on the self-esteem of undergraduates
·
To determine the influence of recreation
on the leadership skills of female undergraduates.
1.4 Research
questions
The following research questions will be
answered during the course of this study
1. Will
recreation influence the interpersonal skills of female undergraduates?
2. Will
recreation influence the self-confidence of female undergraduates?
3. Will
recreation influence the self-esteem of female undergraduates?
4. Will
recreation influence the leadership skills of female undergraduates?
1.5 Research hypotheses
The following hypotheses will be tested in
this study
1 Recreation will not significantly
influence the interpersonal skills of female undergraduates
2 Recreation will not significantly influence the self-confidence of
female undergraduates
3 Recreation will not significantly influence
the self-esteem of female undergraduates
4
Recreation
will not significantly influence the leadership skills of female undergraduates
1.6
Significance of the study
This study would be of importance to
female and male youths alike by revealing the benefits of recreation to them.
It would also be useful to teachers, coaches and guidance counselors since it
has the potential of generating literature that would constitute valuable
material for advice and mentoring.
1.7 Delimitation
of the study
The scope of this study covers four Departments
in the Faculty of Education, University of Lagos. These Departments are Human
Kinetics and Health Education, Arts and Social Sciences Education, Science and
Technology Education and Educational Administration.
1.8
Operational Definition of Terms
The following terms have been defined as they
will be used during the course of this study:
Recreation:
This is an activity done for enjoyment when one is not
working.
Leisure: Freedom from the demands of work or duty.
Social
life: An
individual’s interpersonal relationships
Female undergraduates: A female student at a college or university who
has not yet earned a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
Interpersonal
skills: the
life skills that one uses every day to communicate and interact with other
people, both individually and in groups. Self-esteem: A female undergraduate’s overall emotional evaluation
of her own worth
Self-confidence: A feeling of trust in
one’s own ability, quality and judgement
Leadership
skills: A female undergraduate’s capacity to lead
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