Influence of Peer Pressure and Parenting Styles on the Perception of Female University Students Towards Abortion
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
This issue brings into focus the following specific objectives:
- To determine if parenting style have significant effect on perceptions of abortion among female university student
- To determine if there is a significant relationship between peer group and the attitude towards abortion among female university students
- To ascertain if age have any significant influence on the perception of female university student towards abortion
- To find out if there is a joint influence of peer group and parenting styles on the perception of female university students towards abortion.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Introduction
This chapter is concerned with reviewing related and relevant literatures bordering on the study. The review is carried out under three major headings; the conceptual framework, the theoretical and the empirical framework.
Conceptual framework
Concept of Adolescence
The term adolescence is derived from the Latin verb ‘adolescere’ which means to grow up or to grow into maturity. Hockenbury and Hockenbury (1997) defined adolescence as the transitional stage between late childhood and the beginning of adulthood. Erikson in Agulanna and Onukogu (2002) saw it as a period for the search for the self. It is the peak of human development such that if an individual is unable to form his \her ago identity or properly discover or define his\herself, the person will be swallowed up and will have defective personality development. Adolescence is a period of rapid development in the physical aspects such as height, hip, voice, strength etc.
The Nature of Conflicts between Adolescents and Parents: The myth is that parents and teenagers do not like each other and do not get along with each other. The fact is that most adolescents feel close to and positive about their parents, have similar values on major issues/ and seek their parents’ approval (Hill, 1987; Offer 1989). This does not, of course, mean that adolescents and their parents live in a calm, stress-free relationship. By and large, parents and adolescents do not clash over economic, religious, social, or political values. Most arguments are about mundane matters like schoolwork, chores, friends, dating, curfews, and personal appearance. Most disagreements are resolved with less trouble than popular mythology suggests. Quarrels may reflect some deep quest for independence (as is often speculated), or they may be just a continuation of parents’ to teach children to conform to social rules. “This socializing task inescapably produces a certain amount of tension. At this point it is simply not clear whether parent-adolescent conflict has a ‘deeper meaning’ than this” (Montemayor, 1983). Research has shown that discord generally increases during early adolescence, stabilizes during middle adolescence, and then decreases after the young person is about 18 years of age. The increased conflict in early adolescence may be related more to puberty than to chronological age, and some intriguing new research suggests that it may even be bi-directional (Steinberg, 1988).
Concept of Parenting Styles: Several researchers including Diana Baumrind (1991), Akinboye (2000) and Awoyemi (2002) have viewed parenting styles from different perspectives. According to Akinboye (2000) parenting styles vary from parent to parent, across cultures with religious beliefs of different orientations and varying theoretical orientations. He categorized parents into three groups regarding their parenting style.
The Winners: These parents chart an extreme parenting style which makes them strongly defend and persuasively justify their right to exercise authority or power over their child. Winner parents use threats of punishment to force obedience from the child and administers punishment when the child disobeys. When there is conflict between the needs of the parents and those of the child, the parents resolve the conflict in a way that they win and the child loses.
The losers: ‘These parents allow their children a great deal of freedom all the time. They consciously avoid setting limits and proudly admit that they do’ not accept the authoritarian style of parenting. When conflicts occur between the needs of the parents and those of the child, it is the child who consistently wins and the parent loses.
The oscillators: These parents find it impossible to follow either of the first two styles and as such oscillate between the winner and loser styles of parenting. They oscillate between being strict and lenient, tough and soft, restrictive and permissive. The oscillating parents according to Akinboye (2000.) are the most uncertain .and confused who produces the most quarrelsome children.
On the other hand Diana Raumrind (1991) believes that parents should be neither punitive nor aloof from their adolescents’, but rather should develop rules and be affectionate with them. She emphasizes three types of parenting that are associated with different aspects of the adolescent’s social behaviour and they are:
Authoritarian Parenting Style: these parents are restrictive, punitive, exhort the adolescents to follow their directions, respect work and effort, place limits and controls on the adolescent, and offer little verbal give and take between the adolescent and the parent. Authoritarian parenting is associated with these adolescent behaviours: anxiety about social comparison, failure to initiate activity and effective social interaction.
Authoritative Parenting Style: these parents encourage the adolescent to be independent but still places limits and controls on the adolescent’s actions. Verbal give and take is extensive and parents are warm and nurturing towards the adolescent. This type of parenting is associated with the adolescent’s social competence, especially self-reliance and social responsibility.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to examine the Influence of Peer Pressure and Parenting Styles on the Perception of Female University Students towards Abortion.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
- Primary source and
- Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, or things. The researcher is interested in getting information which will aid to examining the Influence of Peer Pressure and Parenting Styles on the Perception of Female University Students towards Abortion. Two hundred (200) respondents were randomly selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to reiterate that the objective of this study was to examine Influence of Peer Pressure and Parenting Styles on the Perception of Female University Students towards Abortion.
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 examining the Influence of Peer Pressure and Parenting Styles on the Perception of Female University Students towards Abortion.
Summary
This study was undertaken to examine the Influence of Peer Pressure and Parenting Styles on the Perception of Female University Students towards Abortion. The study opened with chapter one where the statement of the problem was clearly defined. The study objectives and research hypotheses were defined and formulated respectively. The study reviewed related and relevant literatures. The chapter two gave the conceptual framework, empirical and theoretical studies. The third chapter described the methodology employed by the researcher in collecting both the primary and the secondary data. The research method employed here is the descriptive survey method. The study analyzed and presented the data collected in tables and tested the hypotheses using T-test statistical tool. While the fifth chapter gives the study summary and conclusion.
CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, the study shows that Peer Pressure and Parenting Styles Influences the Perception of Female University Students towards Abortion. On the other hand, the study reveals that the Perception of Female University Students towards Abortion has direct relationship with both the Peer Pressure and Parenting Styles adopted by the parents.
Recommendation
- The researchers recommended that, since peer relations serves as a source of affection, sympathy and understanding for the groups, parents should seriously keep a watchful eye on the type of relationships their adolescent children keep at this stage of life.
- The researchers also recommended that students should be provided with proper counseling especially on peer and group relationship to avoid conflicts with parents.
- There is need for proper upbringing of children and wards by parents and guardians.
- Parents are advised to reduce conflicts with their children by knowing when to be permissive and when to be authoritative. Because life is about a little to the right and little to the left.
References
- Adesina O.A. 1988. The Development of Modern Education in Nigeria.Lagos: Heinomaun.
- Adesina S. 1983. Secondary Education in Nigeria, lle-lfe: University Press.
- Agulanna, G. G. and Nwachukwu, F.J. 2007. Psychology of Learning, Dotting theory into practice; Owerri, Career Publishers.
- Agulanna, G. G. and Onukogu, C.J. 1996. Psychology: An Introductory Survey, Benin, BarlozPublisers Inc.
- AjaAkpuru-Aja, Ndifon, C.O. and Nwaode, N.O. 2013. Law, Conflicts and Human Rights in Africa (Peace Studies Series) Nigeria: CHCDSS.
- Akinboye, J.O. 2000. Parenting success.A seminar paper presented at the department of guidance and counselling, University of Ibadan. Pp 7-11.
- Alade A. O. 1998. Conflict Management within the Nigeria Baptist Convention, unpublished Ph.D thesis, University of Ibadan.
- Awoyemi, A. E. 2002. The concept and nature of parenting and parenting styles.A seminar paper presented at the department of guidance and counselling, University of Ibadan, Pp3-7.”
