TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN HOMELESS FAMILIES
2.2 OBSERVATIONS ON DEBATES ABOUT CAUSES
OF HOMELESSNESS
2.3 INSTABILITY AND FAMILY FUNCTIONING
2.4 EFFECTS OF FAMILY STRUCTURE ON POVERTY
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN
3.3 STUDY POPULATION
3.4 SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
3.5 DATA FOR THE STUDY: INSTRUMENTATION
3.5.1 INSTRUMENTATION
3.5.2 VALIDITY OF INSTRUMENT
3.6 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 DATA ANALYSIS (QUESTIONNAIRE)
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
5.2 CONCLUSION
5.3 RECOMMENDATION
REFERENCES
QUESTIONNAIRE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Homelessness is a complex social problem with a variety of underlying economic and social factors such as poverty, lack of affordable housing, uncertain physical and mental health, addictions, and community and family breakdown. These factors, in varying combinations, contribute to duration, frequency, and type of homelessness (Buckner, 2008). To be fully homeless is to live without shelter; however, many experience partial homelessness that can include uncertain, temporary, or sub-standard shelter. Homelessness is difficult to define, thus governments struggle with uncertainty when creating and implementing policies they hope will effectively manage or eradicate this problem (Buckner, 2008).
Families with children make up over a third of the homeless population in the developed nations (Burt et al., 1999). While the literature documenting the deleterious effects of poverty and homelessness on children’s health and development is growing (Buckner, 2008), very few studies have focused specifically on dynamics within homeless families (Danesco & Holden, 1998; Lindsey, 1998). Instead, much of the research on homeless families has focused on identifying the predictors of homelessness among poor families (Bassuk et al., 1997; Wood, Valdez, Hayashi, & Shen, 1990)—concentrating on understanding the causes of homelessness rather than the consequences for family dynamics (i.e., the ways in which family members interact with one another). Given that many of the high risk conditions that have been studied for their negative impact on parents and children come together in the condition of homelessness (Hausman & Hammen, 1993), inquiry into functioning within families who experience homelessness is particularly needed.
The stressors that accompany homelessness (lack of access to housing, low economic resources, inadequate social support networks) may challenge family dynamics and the qualities of parenting associated with child well-being (i.e., nurturance, discipline,monitoring, management, and developmentally appropriate stimulation). Negative life events have been associated with more inconsistent discipline (Roosa, Tein, Groppenbacher, Michaels, & Dumka, 1993) and parents who lack parenting resources such as informational, emotional, and social supports experience more challenges in creating meaningful interactions with their children (Torquati, 2002). Homeless mothers have reported that a lack of social support, dearth of resources for life skills training, and limited access to parenting skills education create a sense of hopelessness and a lack of confidence in their parenting abilities (Swick & Williams, 2006).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The vast majority (80-85%) of homeless families are headed by single mothers (Torquati, 2002). The first wave of family homelessness that began in the1980s has been attributed to federal cuts in housing programs, loss of privately owned low-income housing stock, the failure of public assistance benefits to keep pace with inflation, increased rate of divorce, and failure of courts to enforce child support orders. Lack of adequate social supports from the government or Non-governmental organizations (NGO) has increased the rate of homelessness among people in the society. Increased rate cost of living in the society has also influences the number of homeless families.
Family structure has play a role in the rate of homeless families in the society, the vast majority of homeless families are headed by single mothers. In a family headed by a single mother who does not receive financial or moral support for anywhere, the possibility of such family becoming homeless is very high because of the likely inability of the single mother of not being able to meet up with the financial obligations of the family (Swick & Williams, 2006). The socioeconomic status of the family can also be affected by the population of the family, a family with a very large number requires a multiple source of income in order to averagely keep the sustainability of such family.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The general objective of this study is to examine the effect of family structure and social support as a determinants of family homelessness in Ibadan, Nigeria. The specific objectives include the following:
1. To examine the perception of people on the population of homeless families in Ibadan North LGA.
2. To ascertain the influence of large number of family member on the prevalence of homeless families in Ibadan North LGA.
3. To find out the impact of family structure on the level of homeless families in Ibadan North LGA.
4. To determine the influence of lack of social support on the level of homeless families in Ibadan North LGA.
5. To find out if there is a relation between socioeconomic status and the level of homeless families in Ibadan North LGA.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The relevant research questions related to this study include the following:
1. What is the perception of people on the population of homeless families in Ibadan North LGA?
2. What is the influence of large number of family member on the prevalence of homeless families in Ibadan North LGA?
3. What is the impact of family structure on the level of homeless families in Ibadan North LGA?
4. What is the influence of lack of social support on the level of homeless families in Ibadan North LGA?
5. Is there a relation between socioeconomic status and the level of homeless families in Ibadan North LGA?