SOCIO-CULTURAL BELIEFS AND BARENESS IN NIGERIA: THE CASE STUDY OF ORON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

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SOCIO-CULTURAL BELIEFS AND BARENESS IN NIGERIA: THE CASE STUDY OF ORON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The research is an analysis of the socio-cultural beliefs of barren married couples, and it was carried out in Oron local government area of AkwaIbom state. The study explored ways of reducing pressure both from the family and the society as a whole with particular reference to examining the existing causes and effects of infertility in the society. The instrument for data collection used for this research was questionnaire. The sampling techniques used for this study was cross- sectional survey research design. Three hundred and seventy five (375) respondents were randomly selected. The data collected were analyzed using tables and percentages. From the analysis of the data, the major findings among others include; women are not fully blamed for the cause of infertility like it use to be, majority of the population are aware of the medical treatment for infertility but choose not to sought for it. It is also found out that there is negative attitude of people towards barren couples. In view of these findings, the study recommend among others that: 1) mass enlightenment of the public could help increase the knowledge of the causes of infertility among married couples and also reduce feeling of inferiority complex among childless couples; 2) childless couples should seek for medical treatment jointly instead of allowing one partner to carry the burden alone among others.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGES TITLE

Title page……………………………………………………………………………….….  i

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………    ii

Table of contents…………………………………………………………………………..  iii  

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           1

1.2 Statement of Problem       –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           2

1.3 Research Questions           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           3

1.4 Objectives of the Study    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           3

1.5 Significance of the Study –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           4

1.6 Definition of Concepts     –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           4

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction          –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           6

2.2 The concept of Bareness   –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           6

2.1.1 Responsible Factors for Bareness          –           –           –           –           –           –           8

2.1.2 Medical Treatment for Bareness            –           –           –           –           –           –           10

2.1.3The Extent Childless Couples Sort for Medical Solution To Their problem      –           12

2.1.4 The Socio- cultural beliefs  On Married Couples           –           –           –           –           15

2.2 Review of Related Studies           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           16

2.3 Theoretical Framework     –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           17

CHAPTER THREE:RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design   –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           18

3.2 Study Area            –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           18

3.3 Population of the Study    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           19

3.4 Sample Size and sampling method           –           –           –           –           –           –           19

3.5 Instruments for Data Collection   –           –           –           –           –           –           –           19

3.6 Methods of Data Analysis            –           –           –           –           —          –           –           –           19

CHAPTER FOUR:DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis    –           –           –           –           –           –           –           20

4.2 Discussion of Findings     –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           24

4.3 Analysis of Research Questions   –           –           –           –           –           –           –           24

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 Summary   –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           26

5.2 Conclusion            –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           27

5.3 Recommendations            –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           27

References      –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           –           28

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

  1. Background to the Study

In oron urban community, as in most other parts of the country, procreation is one of the major functions of the family. Every man take a wife apparently to have children with them, where this main purpose for marriage is not forth coming into fulfillment, it is then result to tension in most cases which lead to misunderstanding and disputes in the family. For most of history, childlessness has been regarded as great personal tragedy involving much emotional pain and grief, especially when it is resulted from failure to conceive or from the death of a child (Mail, Charlene, 1986). Before conception was well understood, childlessness was usually blamed on the woman and this in itself added to the high level negative emotional and social effects of childlessness. Some wealthy families also adopted children as a means of providing heirs incase of childlessness or where no son had been born, the monetary incentives offered by westerner’s desire for children is so strong that a commercial market in the child laundering business exists (McCurry, 2005).

  1. Statement of Problem

Throughout the world and particularly in African societies, oron land not exempted, the word “childlessness” sends a cold signal to the ears of listener and a sense of pity is immediately aroused in the mind. In oron land, children are regarded as great treasure to their parents, relations and their immediate community. Many people suffer from childlessness for so many reasons such as drug abuse, hard drugs effect, contraception, numerous abortions, and genetically inherited sickness and in most cases, psychological problems.The number of childless couples is tremendously on the increase, this is evident to the fact that attempts to initiate a move which would have been directed towards adoption is taken with serious resistance in some places mostly by couples without even a child. Meanwhile, most couples are childless because of the degree of their waywardness while they were youths or younger and unmarried, such as illicit use of drugs in order to avoid pregnancy. In oron urban community, childlessness is echoed by the fact that most couples are not aware of the prevalence of medical treatment; this therefore makes them not to seek medical assistance for such form of ailment. According to Nwapa (2004), some couples attribute their problem of childlessness to the supernatural, the hope in God that gives children to remember them at the appropriate time while some couples usually fall back to the fact that adoption, they are comforted for being biological infertile, they no longer want to know the cause of their infertility and solve it or get rid of it Hales, (2000).

SOCIO-CULTURAL BELIEFS AND BARENESS IN NIGERIA: THE CASE STUDY OF ORON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

SOCIO-CULTURAL BELIEFS AND BARENESS IN NIGERIA: THE CASE STUDY OF ORON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA