CHAPTER ONE
Background
of the Study
This study is
focused at identifying how youths’ exposure to pornographic films influences
the undergraduate students of the University of Lagos. Film is categorized
under the mass media as a tool of communication. It is therefore associated
with the enormous influence of the mass media.
According to
Burton (2002), the main power of the media, lies in the fact that they can
shape what we know about the world and can be a main source of ideas and
opinions.
For the sake of this study, pornographic films are moving
pictures which primarily intend to arouse sexual desire in its viewer(s). Pornographic films may be divided into the
following; Soft-core pornography, Hardcore pornography and Violent pornography.
Akoto, (2014)
helps us define these categories citing the work of other authors as she does
this. She explains that soft-core pornography is intended to arouse men and
women sexually and typically contains nude and semi-nude performers engaging in
casual social nudity (Williams, 1999). Soft-core pornography does not contain
explicit depictions of vaginal or anal penetration, cunnilingus, and ejaculation
(Dubberley, 2005).
On the other
hand, hardcore pornography contain explicit depictions of sexual acts, such as
vaginal, anal, and/or oral intercourse, cunnilingus, anglings, ejaculation,
and/or fetish play. Distribution of hardcore pornography was widely prohibited
in many countries until the second half of the 20th century when many countries
began to allow some dissemination of soft-core material. Public display and
advertising of hardcore pornography as well as its supply to minors is often prohibited
(Campbell, 2003).
Violent
pornography however, is a sexual act which is disgustingly offensive. An
obscene character that portrays an explicit and realistic act which results or
is likely to result in serious injury to a person’s anus, breasts or genitals.
It can also be an act which involves or appears to involve sexual interference
with a human corpse. Violent pornography can also mean a person performing or
appearing to perform an act of intercourse or oral sex with an animal whether
dead or alive and a reasonable person looking at the image would think that any
such person or animal was real.
Pornographic
films in recent times are produced and distributed on a different forms of
media such as; DVDs, Internet downloads, podcast, home videos, cable tvamongst
others.
In Nigeria,
pornographic films are becoming increasingly popular, not just foreign porn
movies, also locally made ones. The Internet has also made access to these
films quite easy. The Nigerian movie industry which kicked off with films with
themes of witchcraft, ritualism and greed has in my opinion shifted a little
from these themes, probably in an attempt to copy the western world.
Pornography is a
largely controversial topic. Wagner, (1990) opines that pornography is the
written or visual presentation in a realistic form of any genital or sexual
behavior with a deliberate violation of existing and widely accepted moral and
social taboos (as cited in Harvey, 2004). With this definition of pornography,
before a material is deemed pornographic, it must asides from depicting genital
or sexual behavior, violate existing and widely accepted and social taboos. On
the other hand, Harvey, (2004) citing Hunt, (1996) sees pornography as the
explicit depiction of sexual organs and sexual practices with the aim of
arousing sexual feelings. However, the determination of whether a material is
pornographic is largely dependent on an individual’s perception of what the
acceptable social and moral taboos are and if the material violates them.
Pornographic films have been produced for a long time and is
highly profitable, especially with the with the help of the new technology
(smartphones, tabs, other handheld devices) and the Internet, statistics from a
report by Adult Industry Medical Health Foundation (2004) revealed that more
than 11 million teenagers who are between the ages of 12 and 17 years view
pornography online. The report showed that there are 4.2 million pornographic
websites, 420 million pornographic web pages and 68 million daily search engine
requests. The report also indicated that 50% of men and 20% of women in the
church regularly view porn. Of 1351 pastors surveyed, 54% had viewed internet
pornography within the year prior to the research. Pornography has become a
morally debated social issue; according to Griffith, Mitchell, Hart, Adams
&Gu (2013), whether it is harmful to those who use it or not.
Statement
of the problem
Film is a very powerful medium that can reach a large number
of people and as observed from the study, pornographic films through the
Internet reaches a large number of people. Pornographic film is an audio visual
medium capable of producing the most vociferous outburst through the portrayal
of pornography, violence and other immoral acts. This means pornographic films,
possess the powerful characteristics explained by Severin and Tankard and with
the increasing popularity of these films, we need to understand what exposure
to them causes or does not cause.
On the other hand, OusmaneSembène, one of the greatest
filmmakers to come out of Africa and is also often referred to as the
"Father of African Cinema", according to an article written about him
in the Los Angeles times (2007) believed film is a tool or communicator of
social change and culture. Taking his definition of film into consideration,
one wonders if pornographic film as a film genre, is really a tool for social
change and culture. The need to understand how exposure to pornographic films
affect the society, due to the popularity of these films and more importantly
how it affects the youths, prompts the researcher to study and investigate the
influence of pornographic films on the lifestyle of undergraduate students of
the University of Lagos.
MacKinnon (1993) argued that pornography is harmful to all
those involved. However, despite its pervasiveness, people like Strossen,
(1995) had suggested that pornography is not a problem but fairly being (as
cited in Akoto, 2014).
Objectives of the study
The main object of this study is to investigate the
influence pornographic films on the lifestyle of youths. Other objectives
include;
1.
To determine the extent of youths exposure to pornographic
films.
2.
To find out the perception of youths towards pornographic
films.
3.
To determine if and to what extent pornographic films affect
the lifestyle of youths.
4.
To find out why youths watch pornographic films.
Research
questions
The study specifically provided answers to the following
questions:
1.
To what extent are youths exposed to pornographic films?
2.
What is the perception of youths towards pornographic films?
3.
To what extent are youths affected by being exposed to
pornographic films?
4.
What are the factors responsible for the viewing of
pornographic films?
Scope and
limitation of the study
The undergraduate students of the University of Lagos make
up the population for this study and the survey research method was used
because the study involves the kind of population that would be too large to be
observed directly.
The unavailability of time as the researcher had to carry
out other academic activities at the same time this study was conducted made it
difficult for the researcher to carry out a wider and more thorough work on the
topic.
Financial constrain is all a limitation to this study as
adequate materials could not be obtained.
Significance
of the study
This study will be of benefit to the Nigerian society as
this work will help us understand if exposure to pornographic films have any
effect on, affect or influence the lifestyle of youth.
It will also show what the factors responsible for viewing
pornographic films by Nigerian youths are.
Furthermore, it will help scholars, researchers or writers
who may wish to carry out further studies on exposure of pornographic films on
youths and also proffer useful suggestions and recommendations to other
researchers conducting further research in this area.