CHAPTER
1----INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The
advent and adoption of the western culture due to the coming of the colonial
masters in Nigeria brought with it the introduction of a foreign culture which
was embraced with open arms due to the fact that the administration of the
country was in the hands of the colonial masters. Therefore western culture
brought western civilization. Western culture constitutes the social norms,
belief, customs, ethical values associated with countries and nations of Europe;
J. Spiel Vogel,
Jackson (2016). Apparently
in Nigeria this were the influence of the colonial master of the then British,
America etc. Consequently the development of the western culture was the
introduction of Christian influence in Nigeria over the Nigerian traditional
cultural system. This influence permeates various aspect of life including the
marriage institution. Traditional
culture is defined as the customs and practices in a
particular culture. The Nigerian traditional marriage culture constitutes the
traditional marriage customs of the Nigerian traditional society. The contact
of the western culture with the Nigerian traditional culture brought with it
many changes which have brought significant changes to the traditional marriage
system. Therefore many Nigerians have adopted church and registry marriage over
the traditional marriage institutions. Therefore traditional marriages are only
recognized when church and registry marriages have been culminated. It is also
believed that the many social vices of the society is the result of the
influence of western culture such as divorce, single parenthood, child neglect
due to work by working class parents, etc. The increasing consequences of western culture over traditional
beliefs and practices constitute a debate over the validity of Nigerian
traditional marriage system. The study seeks to investigate the collapsing
trends in Nigeria marriages with a focus on resident in ibeju- lekki
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The increasing rate and consequences of divorce,
social vices resulting from child neglect, women autonomy, and single
parenthood in our traditional society are pointers that the influence of the
western culture over traditional institutions requires a re-evaluation. Culture is the totality of a
system, knowledge, belief, arts, morals, customs, laws and other capabilities
of a society acquired through learning and transferred to others from one
generation to another. Therefore the re -assessment of societal values which
affect the promotion of good and ethical values in our traditional society is
imperative. Ajiboye et al (2012) observed that the neglect of child care by
many educated parents contradict the traditional methods of child care which
constitute a fundamental factor to social and cultural development in the
society. The problem confronting the study is to investigate the collapsing
trends in Nigeria marriages with a focus on resident in ibeju- lekki
1.3
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The
main study objective is to investigate the collapsing trends in Nigeria
marriages with a focus on residents in
ibeju- lekki.; While the specific objectives of the study include;
1 To appraise the relevance of
marriage in Nigeria.
2 To determine the collapsing trends
in Nigeria marriages.
3 To determine the collapsing trend
in marriages of residents in ibeju- lekki.
.
1.3
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1 What is the relevance of marriage
in Nigeria?
2 What is the determine the
collapsing trends in Nigeria marriages?
3 What is the collapsing trend in
marriages of residents in ibeju- lekki?
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study seeks to provide an
evaluative appraisal to determine the reasons for the collapsing trends of
Nigerian marriages with a view to providing information to relevant
stakeholders to proffers remedy.
1.5
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study focuses on the investigation
of the collapsing trends in Nigeria marriages with a focus on residents in
ibeju- lekki.
1.6 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The study was confronted with logistic and
geographical constraint
1.7
DEFINITION OF TERMS
MARRIAGE DEFINED
A
consensual
and contractual relationship between spouses recognized by law
CULTURE DEFINED
Culture is the totality of a system,
knowledge, belief, arts, morals, customs, laws and other capabilities of a
society acquired through learning and transferred to others from one generation
to another.
WESTERN CULTURE DEFINED
Western culture constitutes the
social norms, belief, customs, ethical values associated with countries and
nations of Europe. Apparently in Nigeria this were the influence of the
colonial master of the then British, America etc. Consequently the development
of the western culture was the introduction of Christian influence in Nigeria
over the Nigerian traditional cultural system. This influence permeates various
aspect of life including the marriage institution.
TRADITIONAL CULTURE DEFINED
Traditional culture is defined as the customs
and practices in a particular culture. The Nigerian traditional marriage
culture constitute the traditional marriage customs of the Nigerian traditional
society