Impact of Musical Programmes on the Cultural Behaviour of Students
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the study
The researcher’s objective is to conduct an in-depth research on the impacts of channel o musical television programmes on the cultural behaviour of federal polytechnic students idah with an insight to determine its implication to the cultural values of Nigerian youths are:
- To show how the contents of channel O musical television programme affects Nigerian University
- To examines its pervasive impact on the cultural behaviour of Nigerian University
- To know how to isolate Western (channel O) television programmes from Nigeria
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Sources Of Literature
The actual literature reviewed for this study are books, news paper, journals of communication, professional publications both published and unpublished works, seminar works, projects, etc and from center for communication research Enugu, Enugu State library, Enugu State University of Sciences and Technology library Enugu.
Review of Relevant Literature
In recent times, the issue of globalization as evident in global mass communication has enhanced information around the world. Yet, it has also brought about increased inequality, individual alienation, cultural and social tumult. The phenomenon is also seen to be leading to the replacement of traditional structures such as the family, religion and the community with ones supposedly more relevant to the modern world. (McQuail 2000: 222).
Mow Lana (1996: 108) remarks: there seems to be almost blind faith in the new modern and technological solutions to problems and a subsequent devaluing of traditional values and structures. No matter how valuable they have proved to be over centuries, people are surprisingly quick to project their indigenous traditions and cultural values as reactionary, static, irrelevant to their lives.
However, some argues that there is meditating factors which limits the influence of countries. Such factors are selecting, personality, society.
The Media Effect Period
In developing the media effect over time, brings to light the following periods of the effect of the media. (Edeani 1998)
1915 – 1942 period of very powerful effects. 1942 – 1960 period of limited effects.
1961 – 1974 period of moderate effect. 1974 – Represents period of powerful effect.
These periods is pioneered by the findings of Elizabeth Noelle Neumann using longitudinal studies approach.
The powerful effects of the media enjoyed acceptance among the generality of communication scholars. Schwartz (1988), literally portray the power of the media especially the Tv when he writes “Good like the media can change the cause of war, brings down kings, elevate the lowly and humiliates the proud by directing the attention of millions on the same event and in the same manner.
This idea relates to the subject of this study; in that the Tv and in the case of channel O Tv programs, they continuously bring the cultural values of the Western into focus in Nigeria. Thereby, occupying the minds of the Nigerian Youths with the alien values.
Schwartz’s viewpoint is consistent with the view expressed by Golting (1977) in Okunna in 1994.
“The media are central in provision of ideas and images which the people use in interpreting and understanding a great deal of their everyday experience”. More specific work relating to Tv is seen in Walter Lippman’s theory of pictures. He says that what we watch on Tv and other media form images in our heads. They shape our attitudes, perception and behaviors.
Herbert Blummer in Black-Bryant of (1992), provides a general picture of how viewing films on Tv influences children’s play, their everyday behaviour, dressing, mannerism, speech, emotions, ideas about romance, ambitions and carrier plans. He shows how children imitates cowboys, cops and robbery, pirates, soldiers, every conceivable hero and villain they have seen in films.
The Work of The Media On Youths
Skinner (1984), from a case study of Trinidad and Tobago found that channel O Tv programme viewing was positively related with foreign values. In an attempted synthesis of the cultivation hypothesis, hawking and Ponker (1982), concluded after viewing 48 audiences that Tv does influence the viewer’s perception of social reality.
Ideologically, Goldman and Rajagopal (1991) using Gramscia (1971) concept of hegernony describe channel O Tv news and programmes as a fabrication of form and content with prevailing modes of interpretation. These researchers see Western Tv programmes as commodity based on formulas used to guarantee balance and neutrality while contributing their own conceptual frame of references that are forced upon the viewers.
In an analyst of the role of the U.S Tv in Iceland (Payne and Peak1977) using the theoretical framework “Cultural diffusion”, found support for the media acculturation hypothesis. Western Mass Media, in particular Tv, Influence the way people think, act and feel. Kim (1988), posits that there exists communication influence at two levels in every cross cultural context. Firstly is at the personal communication or interpersonal level. Secondly at the social communication level.
The inter-personal communication level deals with the cognitive structure of the individual and it comprises knowledge of the patterns, rules and symbols used by the host of communication. All the levels of inter- personal influence of socialization or acculturation take place.
The social communication is underlying inter-subsidization a phenomenon which occurs as a consequence of public symbolism, symbol utilization and diffusion (Ruben 1975). It further defined as the process by which individuals regulates the feelings thoughts and actions of one another. (Kim, 1988).
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
This study is designed to find out the Impact Of Channel O Musical Programmes On The Cultural Behavior Of Idah Polytechnic Students. This goal cannot be achieved unless the research work is orderly, imaginative, logical and accurate.
Hence, this chapter is associated with the research method used in carrying out the work. The pertinent pointed here is that, it helps to know which method is appropriate for the project.
Research Design
It is an acceptable fact that research design is the basic plan that guide data collection and the analysis phase of any research work. The design of a research can be regarded as the frame-work which specifies the type of information to be gathered including the source of data and the procedure used in collecting them.
Therefore, on the basis of this study, the research design used for collecting the required information is the survey analysis on the basis of self administrated questionnaire, interview and personal observation. The analysis of the data collected is based on descriptive and inferential statistical tools of measuring data. The primary and secondary data are source of information on the Impacts of Channel O Television Programmes on the Cultural Value of Idah Polytechnic Students.
Area of the Study
The geographical location of this research work is within the institution of Federal Polytechnic Idah, Kogi State.
The institution comprises of about four thousand five hundred students. But based on this study, one hundred and fifty students were selected for this study using the simple and systematic random sampling method.
The research is to examine how the channel O television programmes affects the cultural values of idah polytechnic students and how such influence can be prevented.
Population of the Study
The population of the study can be said to be animate or inanimate things which a study is focused. It could be class, school, libraries, towns, local government area, states, nations or persons the research is interested in getting information for the study (Nnayelugo: 2001).
In this research study, the population used comprises of staffs and students that were selected randomly from five different departments of Federal Polytechnic Idah, Kogi State. But the actual number of staff and students of the institution is four thousand, five hundred (4,500).
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
The response rate of this study is 120 and the administered questionnaires needed were properly answered. The results of this study are presented in tables and percentages which will correctly provide clarity in understanding. Chi – square is the important statistical equipment used in testing the significance of the result using 98% level of confidence with 0.05% of error probability level.
For this study, 400 questionnaires would have been distributed to respondents; but based on time and money limit, I distributed 200 questionnaires to respondents. I50 were returned 30 were discarded for several reasons including incomplete data or unnecessary information. This distribution however, was spread over four faculties in Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Kogi State.
In the total responses of 120, 62 respondents representing 51.7% of sample were males and 58 respondents representing 48.3% were females. Total of 13 respondents or 10.8% were within the minor group while 107 or 89.2% respondents were adults. Holders, 31 or 25.8% were OND/ NCE and 31 or 25.8% were B.Sc. and higher degree holders.
In answer to some research questions set earlier in this study, the researcher found out that most students depend on television for information and entertainment more than other media.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
Summary
This study contains an analysis of the broad areas presumed scientific research which have showed that exposure to television products of Western origin exercises a powerful influence on the cultural values of viewers from other countries.
In this study, concentration was on Channel O Musical Programmes as the independent variables and the cultural identity of Nigerian University students.
The role which television plays in transmission of cultures across national frontiers has been reviewed in this study. This ability of television is a function of its qualities rhetoric, imagery, style and language pervasiveness, culture, consistence, repetitiveness etc which collectively make it the highly successful medium that it has become.
The uses and gratification theory have provided ready explanation of why the youths highly associate with the medium which provide them with message and images that they view and accept.
The theoretical synthesis of acculturation, cultivation, mainstreaming, projection and perception of reality taken within the ideological perspective of media hegemony, have shown that television can be used positively or otherwise to foster the growth and development of culture, to assimilate, or completely destroy it. The television was also shown to be good, but not in any way a dominating contributory to the unhealthy desire by Nigerian youths to emigrate to the Western world.
Conclusion
The researches of this research problem have shown that youths of Nigeria can confront the problem of Channel O musical programmes destroying our cultural values.
The educators, parents, community leaders, elites should also by this means help the youths confront the undignified and distorted images so prevalent in Western television.
Given the number of broadcast houses in existence in Nigeria, the researcher believes the country is ready for broad equipment manufacturing industry. The private and public sector should consider this angle more seriously so as to reduce the total dependence of Nigerian broadcast industry on industrialized journey.
Considering the scope and limitations of this study along with its findings, there is need for further speech research in this area. Further research in this area should involve a control group to be consisted of youths who are in the rural areas where television is not available. More studies should also be geared toward defining the cultural values of Nigeria as an entity and as such denies ways of packaging these uniting materials for broadcast to Nigeria.
The researcher also believes that there is a better tomorrow if the above recommendations are followed towards restoring the cultural values of Nigerian youths.
Finally, the researcher believes that the educators, community leaders, television houses (government and private), the censorship board etc can help in further research on this topic in order to solve this destroyable element of our indigenous cultures.
Recommendations
With the implications of the findings been clearly put in focus in the preceding chapters, it is the researchers’ view that no further time should be wasted in apportioning blames to individuals or bodies for their roles in the cultural imperialism issue.
The cultural media domination that does exist in the Nigeria content can only take place within the complicity and social consent of the dominated cultures (Cuthbert 1985) and Nigerian youths as well as other audience members seen to offer willing compliance.
However, the following recommendations are put forward by the researcher as means of putting an end to our cultural values genocide and communication neo-colonialism.
- The media managers and practitioners as gate-keepers must develop a Nigerian cultural inclination and consciousness that will allow for the production of programmes reflecting the Nigerian idiom, develop its own television rhetoric and creative ability.
- The Nigerian journalist should be aware of his responsibilities towards the community which is the principle way of helping development. As long as he realizes that the conduct of his duty has bearing on mind what is good for the society, then he will always guard against feeding his audience with imperialistic messages.
- The broadcast houses should also create and project an in- house policy requiring that staff must aim their indigenous name at least while on air. This will make people especially the youths to identify themselves as Africans and not imitators of Europeans and Americans. This recommendation may sound trivial but it will likely go a long way to restoring the pride of being Africans or Nigerian youths. The efforts of African independent television (AIT) in this respect are highly welcomed.
- Also, a policy should be formulated to ensure that only professionals take charge of the business of films movies production.
- Further studies should also explore the possible relationship between viewership of Western television and the academic performance of Nigerian students which according to WAEC and JAMB results of recent years appear to be
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