THE ROLE OF
THE FAMILY IN PREVENTION OF HIV/AIDS AMONG YOUTHS IN THE SOCIETY: A CASE STUDY OF OSHIMILI SOUTH LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE
THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
The family is the oldest institution on earth, and
plays a vital role in human society. Throughout history, the family institution
has always exited.
According to the international Encyclopedia of the
social sciences, of all the agent of socialization, the family has been described
the most immediate and most important. It is recognized that most of the
world’s societies are characterized by one or two types of the family
organization both of which revolve around a relatively permanent mother and
Father relationship.
In the nuclear family characteristic of the most
Western societies, the family unit is made up of mother, father and immediate
children. Extended family which account for a greater proportion of the world’s
population are composed of parents, immediate children, grandparents and on
occasion other relatives. In the arrangement, grandparents are looked after by
their children. The secret of family
happiness (1996).
A number of important social changes have taken place
in the family unit in recent decades. Many of them linked with wider
implications for the understanding of the contemporary Nigeria family and its
role in child rearing.
“in oriental societies, strong extended family ties
were traditional. However, under the influence of western style individualism
and the stress of economic problems, the traditional extended family is
weakening. Many in Germany seem to be abandoning the traditional family
altogether. The 1990’s saw 35% of all Germany household made up of two
individuals. The French too are marrying less often and those who do marry,
divorce more often earlier than those used to be the case. Growing number
prefer to live together without the responsibilities of marriages. No doubt,
divorce is becoming increasingly common.
There has been a surge in the number of single parent families, the
secret of family happiness (1996).
With increasing urbanization, the formerly cohesive
community group of which the family was as intrinsic part is largely
disappearing. Nuclear families typically live in large proportion and transient
suburban communities or in equally characterized by a high degree of isolation
one form another.
Ebingha (2003) explained that during the pre-colonial
era. The traditional Nigeria family was made up of some rather independent or
village-like units. With the coming of colonization and rapid urbanization,
most traditional compound dwellers were replaced by small houses designed for a
nuclear family. One of the results of
the increased mobility of family unit is a significant reduction in security
both for parents and for children. Parents alone must face child rearing
problem. Unlike the close unit communities, contemporary urban and suburban
ghetto habours a wide range of values and lifestyles, these providing either
few adult models for the developing child a providing a contradictory
assortment of models.
Despite these changes in the family institution, the
Family is still central to the lives of children. At an early age, they find
themselves completely dependent on the family. The family provides the growing
child with feelings of security, belongingness, satisfaction of emotional
needs, provision of physical and material needs and promoting psychological
growth. The family is also the major transmitter of cultural information in the
early years, a role that is later partly taken over by schools and peer groups.
The work presents the role of family in the prevention
of HIV/AIDs amongst youths in the Nigeria society using Oshilimi South Local
Government Area as a case study.
1.1 STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
HIV/AIDs is a universal problem in February 2002, they
were about 40 million HIV infected persons worldwide. Most of these cases of
HIV/AIDs have been reported in sub-Saharan Africa about 6 million people get
infected every year, Nwachukwu (2002).
Research shows that infected people come from all
socio-economic class, all races and all faiths. The main mode of transmission
is through sexual intercourse. Other means such as transfusion of contaminated
blood, sharing of unsterilized sharp objects and mother to child transmission
are also responsible for the spread of the disease.
The problem of HIV/AIDs and the resultant consequences
are enormous and the family which is the first of socialization of the
individual has a lot of role to play in curbing the spread of the disease.
1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The broad objective of the study is to access the
influence of the socio-economic background of the family (parents especially)
on prevention of HIV/AIDs amongst youths.
The
specific objectives are:
1. To
determine if the educational status of parents has a correlation with the
practice of behavior that could lead to HIV/AIDs amongst the youth (their
children).
2. To
determine if the economic status of parents has an influence on behavior of
youths, that could lead to HIV/AIDs.
3. To
determine the influence of communication between parents and children and how
this helps to reduce behaviors that could lead to HIV/AIDs.
1.3 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
1. The
higher the educational level of parents, the lower the rate of behavior that
could lead to the spread of HIV/AIDs amongst the youths, and the lower the
educational level of parents, the more youths will engage in behaviours that
promote the spread of HIV/AIDs.
2. The
higher the economic status of parents the lower the rate of behaviours
promoting the spread of HIV/AIDs amongst youths and the lower of economic
status of parents the higher the engaging of behavior that promote HIV/AIDs.
3. The
smaller the communication gap between parents and children, the less risky
behavior engaged in by the youth and the wider the communication gap
between parents and children the higher
the tendency to engage in behaviours that promote the spread of HIV/AIDs.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
STUDY
The study derives its relevance from the fact that when
completed It will increase the knowledge and understanding of the influence of
the family in preventing HIV/AIDs amongst youths in Oshimili South Local
Government and in Nigeria at large.
Findings could also enable the relevant authorities to
act appropriately in enlightening the public on the important role of the
family in curbing the spread of HIV/AIDs menace.
1.5 DEFINITION OF TERMS
·
HIV:
Human Immune Deficiency virus
·
AIDs:
acquired Immune deficiency syndrome
·
Youth:
a young person above childhood and early adulthood (between 15 and 26 years,
for the purpose of this study).
·
Risky
behavior: Those acts that are
engaged in by individuals that could encourage the contacting and spread of
HIV/AIDs – acts such as unprotected sex, sharing of sharp objects, transfusion
of unscreened blood etc.
·
Communication:
Free interaction between parents and children (on sex and sex related issues).