CHILDLESSNESS AND SOCIO CULTURAL IMPACT ON MARRIED COUPLES( A CASE STUDY OF IDAH COMMUNITY IN KOGI STATE)

CHILDLESSNESS AND SOCIO CULTURAL IMPACT ON MARRIED COUPLES( A CASE STUDY OF IDAH COMMUNITY IN KOGI STATE)

ABSTRACT

The research is an in-depth analysis of childlessness and socio-cultural impact on married couples in idah urban community of Kogi 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. One hundred (100) respondents were randomly selected. The data collected were analyzed using tables and percentages. From the analysis of the data, it was found that programmer community could help reduce feeling of inferiority complex among childless couples. Negative attitude of childless couples towards child adoption and the significant relationship between childless couples and leadership role were found. The findings from the study necessitated certain recommendations which include the fact that childless couples should seek for medical treatment jointly instead of allowing one partner to carry the burden alone among others.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

In idah 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. In traditional igala society, many wives try to ensure the procreation of children to its fullest limit.

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 westerners desire for children is so strong that a commercial market in the child laundering business exists (McCurry, 2005).

CHILDLESSNESS AND SOCIO CULTURAL IMPACT ON MARRIED COUPLES( A CASE STUDY OF IDAH COMMUNITY IN KOGI STATE)