ABSTRACT
The study examined the
influence of socio-cultural variables on couples’ marital stability in Mainland
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
on marital stability among couples.
(2)
There is a significant influence of ethnicity on couples’
who come from Southern Zone of Nigeria and those from the Northern Zones.
(3)
It was revealed in this hypothesis that there is no
significant influence of religion on couples’ marital stability.
(4)
It was finally revealed that there is a significant
influence of communication on couples’ marital stability. In conclusion, it was
revealed from the analyses, that there is a significant influence of
socio-cultural variables on couples’ marital stability in the community. In the
foregoing, the following recommendations were forwarded by the researcher.
(1)
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.
(2)
Couples should try to have one faith. It is not ideal that
husband and wife should have different religious backgrounds or beliefs.
(3)
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
1.2 Theories of Marriage 2
1.3 Statement of the Problem 9
1.4 Purpose of Study 11
1.5 Research Questions 11
1.6 Research Hypotheses 12
1.7 Significance of Study 13
1.8 Delimitation of the Study 14
1.9 Limitation 14
1.10 Conceptual Definition of Terms 15
CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review 16
2.1 Concept of Culture 16
2.2 Characteristics of Culture 20
2.3 Couple Relationships 24
2.4 Concept of Marriage 25
2.5 Forms of Marriage 27
2.6 Communication Patterns and Dissatisfaction 33
2.7 Cross-Cultural Variations in Marriage 37
2.8 Factors that Guarantee Marital Stability
Among Couples 40
2.9 Summary of Review 48
CHAPTER THREE: Research Methodology 49
3.1 Introduction 49
3.2 Research Design 49
3.3 Population of the Study 50
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique 50
3.5 Research Instrument 50
3.6 Procedure for Data Collection 51
3.7 Data Analysis Method 51
CHAPTER FOUR: Data Analysis, Hypothesis Testing and
Interpretation of Results 52
4.1 Introduction 52
4.2 Hypothesis
Testing and Interpretation of Results 52
4.3 Summary of Findings 59
CHAPTER FIVE: Discussion of Findings, Summary of the Study, Conclusion, and
Recommendations 61
5.1 Introduction 61
5.2 Discussion of Findings 61
5.3 Summary of the Study 67
5.4 Conclusions 68
5.5 Recommendations 69
References 72
Appendix
77
CHAPTER ONE
1.1
Introduction
Culture
is generally, described and accepted as people’s way of life, which among other
things includes their material 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 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 Theories
of Marriage
Osarenren
(2005), postulated that marriage is one of the roles expected by every society
for its members during adulthood. The implication of this postulation is that
marriage is not only regarded by the society as a normal pattern of social
behaviour, it is also a legal necessity. Marriage, therefore, constitutes an
essential means of human propagation and an avenue for children’s upbringing
for a better and disciplined society.
According
to Almond (2000), it is believed that in marriage, the assurance for security,
love, and companionship is provided. In upholding this view, Adman (1998)
theorized that nature did not construct human being to be alone. He further
emphasized that those who have never known the deep intimacy and intense
companionship of happy mutual love have missed the best thing life has to give.
Marriage
is an aspect of social life affecting both immediate members (couples) and
other members of the community. A man and a woman are attracted to each other
in marriage because each hopes that the relationship will satisfy a variety of
their needs which include love, values, financial support, social protection
and long-life companionship. However, inevitable difficulties and challenges do
accompany marriage.
Indeed,
many a gap seem to exist between an individual’s relational ideal and eventual
relational reality. As much of the scholarship suggests, problematic
communication patterns can contribute to relational demise, (Hottman, 2004).
Much of the popular literature suggests men and women are different and that
these differences manifest themselves through the sexes’ different
communication and relationship needs. Some of the scholarly research however,
suggest that men and women are not very different in their communication or
relationship needs (Gray, 1997), although some differences do exist, so do some
similarities.
When
considering couple communication in close marital relationship, as variety of
things are relevant and of interest. First, what gender differences (if any)
are recognizable in couple communication patterns? Second, how do couple-type
identification and gender-role adherence play a part in how individuals
communicate with partners in marriage? Finally, how do aspects of gender-role
adherence and coupe-type identification relate to (dis) satisfactory couples
communication? It should be noted that most of the relevant research has been
done in western cultures, with most of it conducted in the United States.
As
Kathleen (1998) theorizes, love and marriage go together like a horse and
carriage began a song popular in the 1950s. According to Kathleen, love and
freedom of choice are important in western society. individuals choose their
own marriage partners generally by falling in love. There are however, other
ways of contracting marriage when those considerations are not regarded as
important by a particular group or society which may emphasize economic or
political requirements instead. In no society is marriage simply a contract
between two individuals. It is a part of the arrangement that a society makes
to perpetuate and organize itself. It is about protecting, organising and
replacing its individual members and socio-political alliances between families
and between society. Depending on the society, and the emphasis it places on
personal freedom, the individuals themselves will be more or less involved in
decisions about whom and when they will marry.
In
western society, Allen (2000) claims that a couple in love before marrying, the
individuals themselves play a major role in choosing their partner. Although we
believe that individuals have a great deal of choice as to whom they will
marry, the choice is in practice often limited by some variables line, age,
religion, social class, and educational or occupational status and most
especially, cultural background of individuals who want to go into marriage
union. In many other societies, marriage is regarded as far too important to be
left to the individuals concerned and made on the basis of romantic
considerations. If marriage is part of an alliance between families or groups,
the elders of the family play a major role in arranging the marriage. This
method also protects young and inexperienced people from the responsibility of
such a big decision.
Basically,
the laws and customs of wedding and marriages reflect the predominant values of
the society which establishes them. different societies and different
individuals regard some elements as more important than others. There is no
absolute or correct form of marriage (Admson, 1997).
Theories on Marital Stability
Without
marital stability, the ideals of material life cannot be realized. Anyanwu
(2000) theory on marital stability laid emphasis on the conflict between the
couples quests for city jobs and their traditional roles and the subsequent
insecurity of this to marriage.
According
to the theory, adults leave the security of their traditional homes and seek
employment opportunities in cities and towns. And beside getting the hoped for
economic satisfaction, many couples are often confronted with many problems
that may effect their marriage stability. Hence there is the probability of
being exposed to foreign patterns of living which are totally different and in
conflict with there own culture.
It is
in line with this theory that Amanoye (1996) theorised that the current
instability in some marriages tends to be the result of educational, social,
economic changes which have occurred and continued to occur so rapidly that
they are not yet fully absorbed into our way of living. In essence the continued
migration of people from the rural to urban centres, the entry of women to
industry, workforce and business, coupled with the changing economic roles of
husbands tend to constitute marriage instability.
At
times if the foundation is poor, it may also constitute a problem in later
marital life. For instance, these days youngsters and youths are often far away
from their parents and relatives who can put them through on how to adjust to
future marital life. Achuzie (1999) theorised that more than before, the youths
cry out for the services of guidance and counsellors to assist them in their
problems of living especially, in the struggle to maintain a stable marriage.
Thus,
the emphasis on the significance of advance preparation and equipment to foster
future marital stability.
Theories
of Socio-Cultural Variables on Marital Stability
Are
there any factors that predict marital success? A great deal of research has
been devoted to this question. This research has been plagued by one obvious
problem. How do you measure “marital success”? Some researchers have simply
compared divorced and intact couples in regard to premarital characteristics.
Other researchers have used elaborate questionnaires to measure couples marital
satisfaction. However, these instruments appear to measure complacency and lack
of conflict more than satisfaction. Although the measures of marital stability
or success are rather crude, some predictors of marital success have been
found. These relations are all statistically weak, but they are intriguing
nonetheless (Mann, 1998).
According
to Almon (2001), the marital adjustment of parents is correlated with the
marital satisfaction of their children. People whose parents were unhappily
married are more likely than others to have an unsatisfactory marriage. For a
number of reasons, marital instability appears to run in the families.
As
Poconko et al (2003) put it, there are many important variables that can make
or marr marriages. According to them, apart from family background, the
variable to be considered to help marriage of a couple is age. The ages of
couples or bride and bridegroom are also related to the likelihood of success.
Couples who marry young have higher divorce rates (London and Wilson, 1994).
Surprisingly, couples who marry late also have a higher propensity to divorce.
Because they are selected from a smaller pool of potential mates, older newly
weds are more likely to differ in age, religion, social status, and education.
Such differences make marriage more challenging, regardless of age.
Other
variables that can affect marriage are length of courtship and socio-economic
class. Longer periods of courtship are associated with greater probability of
marital success (Grover and Russell, 2000). It is probably not the duration of
courtship itself that is critical. Rather, this correlation may occur because
people who are cautious about marriage have attitudes and values that promote
marital stability. The frequency of divorce is higher in the working and lower
class than in the upper and middle class. There are probably many reasons, but
a key one appears to be the greater financial stress in lower socio-economic
strata.
According
to Schumm (1993), another variable that can affect marital success is
personality. Personality he theorizes is generally, partners traits are not
predictive of marital stability. However, the presence of serious psychological
and emotional disorder in one or both partners is associated with marital
problems among couples. Other variables that can affect marital success
include: tolerance, marital altitudes, mutual trust, children, couple
communication, similarity between couples etc.
Statement
of the Problem
Marital
instability is one of the painful experiences of life. The wish of every
married man and woman 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 leads 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 religious, age, socio-economic status, social class,
educational background, personality, traditional values etc influence the
marital stability of marriage among couples are very important variables in
marital stability but the relevance of these factors are not 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
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 influence of socio-cultural
variables on marital stability among couples in Lagos State.
Other
objectives of this study include to:
1. Examine
whether there is difference between religion and marital stability among
couples.
2. Find
out whether there is difference between ethnicity and marital success among
couples.
3. To
determine whether there is influence of communication on marital stability.
4. 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 a significant influence of socio-cultural variables on marital
stability among couples?
2. Will
there be a significant difference between ethnicity and marital stability?
3. Will
religious backgrounds of couples influence their marital stability?
4. Is
there any significant influence of socio-economic states of couples on their
marital stability?
5. 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:
Ho1: There
is no significant influence of socio-cultural variable on couples’ marital
stability.
Ho2: There
is no significant influence of ethnicity on couples’ marital stability.
Ho3: There
is no significant influence of religion on couples’ marital stability.
Ho4: There
is no significant influence of communication on couples’ marital stability.
1.6 Significance
of the Study
Marriage
should be contracted through a careful planning and 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.
Child-bearing is a factor that foster marriage may not be her fault. The main
may be very low to effect pregnancy. To avoid unnecessary doubts, both husband
and wife should go for a medical checkup to rectify or correct the problem of
childessness.
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.
1.6 Delimitation
The
delimitation of this study is the influence of socio-cultural variables on
marital stability among couples in the Lagos metropolis.
1.7 Limitation
The
research will cover mainland local government area of Lagos State since the
research is making use of only mainland local government area, the
generalizability of the findings is limited to the local government area.
However,
this study cannot present all the marital problems exhibited by all the couples
in Lagos State considering the scope the generalizability 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.
1.8 Conceptual
Definition of Terms
For
easy comprehension of this study, all conceptual terms were defined thus:
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 districtive of traits characterizing particular tribal societies.
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.
Marriage:
Marriage husband and wife or the legal joining together of two person’s of
opposite sex as husband and wife.
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