ABSTRACT
The
study examined the influence of socio-cultural variables and marital stability
among couples in Lagos Metropolis in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos
State
The
descriptive research survey was applied in the assessment of the respondents’
opinions in this study. The stratified sampling technique was employed in
selecting the samples for this study. A total of 160 (one hundred and sixty)
respondents were selected for this study to represent the entire population of
the study. For null hypotheses were formulated and tested using the one-way
ANOVA and the t-test statistical tools at 0.05 level of significance. At the
end of the analyses; these results were obtained:
(1)
There is a
significant influence of socio-cultural variables and marital stability among couples
(2)
It was revealed in
this hypothesis that there is no significant influence of religion and couples’
marital stability.
(3)
Hypothesis one
found that there is a significant relationship between the socio-economic
status of couples and marital stability.
(4)
It was finally
revealed that there is a significant influence of communication and couples’
marital stability. In conclusion, it was revealed from the analyses, that there
is a significant influence of socio-cultural variables and couples’ marital
stability in the community. In the foregoing, the following recommendations
were forwarded by the researcher.
- It is the opinion of this
researcher that couples should avoid the consultation of the third party
in their conflict. Rather, they should try to settle themselves whenever
there is any marital disagreement.
- Couples should try to have one
faith. It is not ideal that husband and wife should have different
religious backgrounds or beliefs.
- For couples to maintain marital
happiness and togetherness, love must be watch-word in the family. Without
love, affection and element of trust, couples will not go far in their
marriages.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Abstract v
Table of contents vii
CHAPTER ONE 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.3 Statement of the Problem 2
1.4 Purpose of Study 3
1.5 Research Questions 4
1.6 Research Hypotheses 4
1.7 Significance of Study 5
1.8 Delimitation of the Study 7
1.9 Scope/Limitation of Study 7
1.10 Conceptual Definition of Terms 8
References 10
CHAPTER TWO: Literature
Review
2.1 Couple Relationships 11
2.2 Concept of Culture 12
2.3 Forms of Marriage 13
2.4 Communication Patterns and Dissatisfaction 16
2.5 Cross-Cultural Variations in Marriage 19
2.6 Factors that Guarantee Marital Stability
Among Couples 20
2.7 Communication and Marital Happiness 27
2.8 Sexual Compatibility and Marital Satisfaction 29
2.9 Intimacy and Stability in Marriage 32
2.10 Conflict and Instability in Marriage 33
2.11 Conclusion 34
References 36
CHAPTER THREE: Research Methodology
3.1 Introduction 41
3.3
Research
Design 41
3.3 Population of
the Study 41
3.4 Sample and
Sampling Technique 42
3.5 Research
Instrument 42
3.6 Procedure for
Data Collection 43
3.7 Data Analysis
Method 43
CHAPTER FOUR: Data
Analysis, Hypothesis Testing and
Interpretation
of Results
4.1 Introduction 44
4.2 Hypothesis
Testing and Interpretation of Results 44
4.3 Summary of
Findings 48
CHAPTER
FIVE: Discussion of Findings, Summary of the Study, Conclusion, and
Recommendations
5.1 Introduction 50
5.2 Discussion of Findings 50
5.3 Summary of the Study 55
5.4 Conclusions 56
5.5 Recommendations 57
5.6 Suggestion for further studies 59
Bibliography 60
Appendix
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
Culture is generally described and accepted as
people’s way of life, which among other things includes their marital lives.
The inspiration of every matured man or woman is to have a stable and happy
marital life, be compatible in love, values, academic, economic and of course
be socially alright. This in line with the postulation of Onyema (1994), that
marriage is a social institution for the union of body and soul.
However,
stability in marriage may at times be influenced by certain socio-cultural
variables. The influence of the variables may be negative resulting to
insecurity and unhappiness in marriage or may be positive resulting to a stable
and happy union. These variables range from cultural diversity (in case of
interethnic marriage), to educational, social, economic and even religious
background.
Even
age difference is inclusive in these variables. For instance, a lady once
confessed that she can never marry an illiterate no matter how rich he may be,
because, one day, he might ignorantly use his certificate as a toilet tissue.
The implication of this open confession is incompatibility and social
inequality in education which are factors that may influence marital stability.
The current instability in some marriages in our society today tend to be the
resultant influence of social, economic and cultural changes in people’s
pattern of living. These changes, according to Amaonye, (1996), have occurred
and has continued to occur so rapidly that they are not yet absorbed into our ways
of living.
Furthermore,
compatibility in social lives of couples a strong factor for marital stability
and survival. When the social lives of couples are at variance, it may likely
portend great threat to marital stability, because it takes time to come to
terms with why some social outings and involvement are necessary. However, the
realization of the salient influence of these socio cultural variables on
marriage may likely be positive moment towards marriage stability in our
society today.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The
wish of every couple is to spend their life time together and, joyfully till
death part them. However, this is not usually the case all the time because at
a particular period in their lives, frictions do arise which lead to a near or
total collapse of the marriage. And this is one of the inevitable challenges
that accompany marriages.
Socio-cultural
factors such as religions, age, socio-economic status, social class,
educational background, personality, traditional values etc influence the
marital stability of marriage among couples. And the factors are very important variables in
marital stability which are seldom recognized by many couples, no wonder there
are breakages in many homes as a result of no love, lack of understanding, lack
of compatibility, disparity in age, in education, religion and social classes.
Many,
for instance, have failed to realize that when couples are of diverse culture
(inter-ethnic marriage), there is need to respect each other’s culture since
this translates to respecting the person you married and subsequent marital
stability. These days marriages fail due to lack of tolerance, lack of mutual
trust, lack of patience, non-child bearing, no effective communication, lack of
good marital altitudes, similarities between couples, lack of maturity and poor
socio-economic status.
Finally,
when couples are not from same socio-cultural background, and do not have the
same value system and norms, they tend to vary in understanding of themselves
and lack of understanding no doubt, creates conflict, and instability in
marital union.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The
major purpose of this study is to determine the socio-cultural variables on
marital stability in Lagos state.
Other
objectives of this study include to:
2.
Examine whether there is
difference between religion and marital stability among couples.
3.
Find out whether there is
difference between ethnicity and marital success among couples.
4.
To determine whether there is
influence of communication on marital stability.
5.
To investigate whether
socio-economic status has an impact on couples’ marital success.
1.4 Research Questions
The
following research questions will assist the conduct of this study:
1.
Will there be any significant
influence of socio-cultural variables on marital stability?
2.
Will religious backgrounds of
couples influence their marital stability?
3.
Is there any significant
influence of socio-economic states of couples on their marital stability?
4.
Will lack of communications
affect the marital stability of couples?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The
following research hypotheses were formulated for testing in this study:
1.
There is no significant influence
of socio-cultural variable and couples’ marital stability.
2.
There is no significant influence
of religion and couples’ marital stability.
3.
There is no significant influence
of communication and couples’ marital stability.
4.
There is no significant influence
of socio-economic statuses of couples on their marital stability?
1.6 Significance of the Study
Marriage
should be contracted through a careful planning not accidental marriage (that
is marriages that are not planned but are forced on couples to save the family
or families from embarrassment) should be avoided like a plague. Before a man
weds his wife, both of them should reach the age of maturity. They should
mature socially, economically, temperamentally, financially etc.
For
a happy marriage, they should maintain a feeling of love and affection. The
wife must experience a feeling of being wanted and a sense of belonging, care
and security. The husband too needs love and affection to ensure him of a
stable marriage. Marriage partners should avoid cognitive error that is, they
should not expect the other person to see it. Therefore, if the husband wants
the wife to behave in a certain way, he should inform her about his wishes, the
same is true of the wife to her husband.
Sexual
compatibility tends to foster marital stability, marital oneness to large
extent depends on sex. Infact, sex is a form of communication and probably, the
most legitimate in which two persons (husband and wife) express oneness of mind
and feeling. Therefore, partners in marriage should be socially compatible.
Couples: The findings and recommendation of this
study will be of great benefit for couples; both the already married ones and
those intending to marry. This is because they will learn the factors that
contribute to marital stability or harmony in marriage.
Adolescents: They will learn from the study, especially
those who are of marriageable ages. This is because they will get to understand
that there are some factors that can help marriages to grow and develop instead
of dying down. They would have an insight of the role of social cultural
factors, money or wealth play in
sustaining marriages.
The Society: The society will learn through this study
how finance can make marriage to work well. This is because, without enough
financial powers, marriages tend to be conflict-stricken.
For
marriage to work out well, couples should not entertain the interference of
in-laws or the third party syndrome. They should avoid washing their dirty
lining in the public. They should be of one religious sect, joint account, mind
the same thing, maintain peace in the home and allow love and affection to rule
their world.
1.7 Delimitation
The
delimitation of this study is the influence of socio-cultural variables and
marital stability in Lagos state. A case study of Mushin local government area.
1.8 Scope / Limitation of the Study
The
research will cover Mushin local government area of Lagos State since the
research is making use of only Mushin local government area, the generalization
of the findings is limited to mushin local government area.
However, this study cannot present all
the marital problems exhibited by all the couples in Lagos State considering
the scope the generalization of the findings can only be applicable to the
other couples in similar conditions.
There could be other problems that manifest
among couples in Lagos State, but this study will be restricted to the one’s
highlighted in the hypotheses.
1.9 Conceptual
Definition of Terms
For
easy comprehension of this study, all conceptual terms were defined thus:
1. Culture:
This is defined as a term emerged whole of idea and things produced by men in
their historical experience by 1910 America Anthropologists were using
“Culture” to refer to distractive of traits characterizing particular tribal
societies.
2. Culture Heritage:
This is a process of bringing together people of different ideas and cultural
background to have common interest and perceive a common goal.
3. Marriage:
The legal joining together of two person’s of opposite sex as husband and wife.
4. Socio-Economic Status (SES): This refers to the combined influence of
income, occupation, reduction, cultural tastes or values and prestige on social
ranking. (Bidwell and Vendor, 1999).
5. Social
Status: Mey
(1998) defined social status as groups of individual who are accorded similar
levels of prestige within the community and who share similar cultural taste,
interest, patterns of consumptions and life styles.
6. Stability: This refers to something that is fixed, not
likely to move or change its position. In simple terms, the quality of being
stable.
7. Cohabitation: This is the act of living together of a man
and a woman without formal marriage as husband and wife.
8. Communication: According to Adanma (1980), communication is
the act of interaction between two individuals or from one person or group to
another. It is the act of transmitting news or information between the source
and the receiver through a medium.
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