Role of Mass Media in the Campaign Against Child Labour in Nigeria Society: A Study of Public Perception From Selected Local Government Areas of Oyo State
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain the role of mass media on campaign against child labour in Nigeria
- To ascertain the effect of child labour on future of the child
- To find out the causes of child labour in Nigeria
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Child labour
Sri.V.V.Giri former President of India characterises that, child labour is a “economic practice” and “social evil”. 1 Firstly, ‘economic practice’ signifies employment of Children in gainful occupations with a view to adding to the total income of the family. Secondly, ‘social evil’ refers to, character of the jobs in which children are engaged, the danger to which they are exposed and the opportunities of development of which they have been denied. In the present situation children are denied even their basic and fundamental needs. Children are innocent, vulnerable and dependent, and they are unable to understand their rights as such, during their formative age they are prone to exploitation. Thus, child labour has become a hard reality and global phenomena. The two main approaches which define child labour are (1) Any labour force activity by children below a stipulated minimum age and (2) Any work, economic or not, that is injurious to health, safety and development of children. Kulashresta says that the ‘Child Labour’ is at times used as a synonym for ‘employed child’ or ‘working child’ whereas Gray Rodgers and Gay standing have classified 2 child labour into four categories which include (1) Domestic work; (2) Non-domestic work and non-monetary work; (3) Bonded Labour; 4) Wage Labour.3 Child Labour is done by any working child who is under age specified by the law. The word, ‘work’ means full time commercial work to sustain self or add to the family income. Child labour is a hazard to a child’s mental, physical, social, educational, emotional and spiritual development. Broadly any child who is employed in activities to feed self and family is being subjected to “child labour”. 4 Technically the term ‘child labour’ is used for children occupied in profitable activities, whether industrial or non-industrial. It is especially applicable for activities which are detrimental to their physical, psychological, emotional, social and moral developmental needs. It has been researched and proved that the brain of a child develops till the age of ten, muscles till the age of seventeen and his lungs till the age of fourteen. To be more specific, any activity which acts as a hazard for the natural growth and enhancement of these vital organs, can be considered harmful for natural human growth and developments and termed – ‘child labour’.5 According to Committee on Child Labour, “Child labour” broadly defined as that segment of child population in work either paid or unpaid.6 The term child labour is defined as the work which deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that which is harmful to their physical and mental development.7 Homer Folks, the Chairman of the United Nations Child Labour Committee, defined child labour as “any work by children that interferes with full physical development and their opportunities for a desirable minimum level of education of their needed recreation”.8 According to ILO’s comprehensive definition of child labour, “Child Labour includes children prematurely leading adult lives, working long hours for low wages under conditions damaging to their health and to their physical and mental development, sometimes separated from their families, frequently deprived of meaningful education and training opportunities that could open up for them a better future”.9 In Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences (1959) Child labour has been defined “When the business of wage earning or of participation in itself or family support conflicts directly or indirectly with the business of growth and education, the result is child labour. The function of work in childhood is primarily developmental and not economic.10 Children’s work, then, as a social good, is the direct, antithesis of child labour as a social evil.11 The ‘Operation Research Group’ based in Baroda-India defines a child labour that “A Working Child is one who was enumerated during the survey as a child falling within the five to fifteen age bracket and who is at remunerative work, may be paid or unpaid, and busy in any hours of a day within or outside family”.12 Article.24 of the Constitution accepting the fact of prevalent child labour in India provides that “no child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed in work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment”.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to Role of mass media in the campaign against child labour in Nigeria society. Public perception from selected local government areas of Oyo State form the population of the study.
SAMPLE SIZE DETERMINATION
A study sample is simply a systematic selected part of a population that infers its result on the population. In essence, it is that part of a whole that represents the whole and its members share characteristics in like similitude (Udoyen, 2019). In this study, the researcher adopted the convenient sampling method to determine the sample size.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain Role of mass media in the campaign against child labour in Nigeria society: a study of public perception from selected local government areas of Oyo State. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of Role of mass media in the campaign against child labour in Nigeria society
Summary
This study was on role of mass media in the campaign against child labour in Nigeria society: a study of public perception from selected local government areas of Oyo State. Three objectives were raised which included: To ascertain the role of mass media on campaign against child labour in Nigeria, to ascertain the effect of child labour on future of the child and to find out the causes of child labour in Nigeria. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected local government areas of Oyo State. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
We cannot expect drastic change in a short span of time. To improve the situation, all the stakeholders need to have the eagerness to bring on the social change. To understand if mass media could play a vital role in preventing child labour a quasi-experiment needed to be done by increasing social awareness campaign through private and public TV channels to see if any positive changes that could bring in to shrink the percentages of child labour.
Recommendation
- As parents from working children are more illiterate compared to parents of non-working school going children, parents of children can be literate if the adult education program could be launched in wider coverage. Their literacy can play effective role to create motivation and awareness against child labour.
- As the number of siblings in the working children group is higher compared to non-working school going children group and working children group have larger family compared to non-working children group, by ensuring birth control we can reshape our population size. And it will make feasible for government to accommodate food and clothing, housing, education and medical facilities for entire population
References
- Ayon Debnath (2017, November 26). Bangladeshi TV channels VS Indian TV channels! Bangla Insider. Retrieved November 24, 2018, from https://en.banglainsider.com/entertainment /489/Bangladeshi-TV-channels-VS-Indian-TV-channels.
- Baland, J.-M. and Robinson, J.A. (2000). ‘Is Child Labor Inefficient?’ Journal of Political Economy 108(4): 663-679.
- Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2015, October). Child Labour Survey Bangladesh 2013. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics with support from International Labour Organization (ILO) First Published October 2015 ISBN: 978-92-2-130655-9 (Print); 978-92-2-130656- 6 (web pdf).
- Bappy Rahman (2018, June 11). World Day Against Child Labour: Initiatives to Stop Child Labour in Bangladesh. The Daily Sun. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www.daily-sun.com/post/315140/2018/06/12/Initiatives-to-Stop-Child-Labour-inBangladesh.
- Baran, S., Chase, L. and Courtright, J. (1979). Television drama as a facilitator of positive social behjavior: The Waltons. Journal of Broadcasting, 23 (3): 277-284. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/role-mass-media-facilitatingcommunity-education.
- Becker, G. (1964). Human Capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education. New York: Columbia University Press.
- Bharadwaj, P., Lakdawala, L.K. and Li, N. (2013). “Perverse Consequences of Well-intentioned Regulation: Evidence from India’s Child Labor Ban”. NBER Working Paper No. 19602. Retrieved November 17, 2018, from http://www.nber.org/papers/w19602.
