ABSTRACT
The media plays
a very powerful and influential role in the lives of youths anywhere in the
world and it is sometimes referred to as the ‗third parent‘. Over sixty years
of study has provided evidence that exposure to violent media leads to an
increase in violence and aggression. This is a study on exposure to film
violence and its implication for moral development. Morality represent a key
human apparatus which influences an individual‘s perception and acceptance of
what is right or wrong. Morality underpins the exhibited violent behaviour
consequent upon exposure to violent Tv/Film content. Morality is shaped by many
factors and the media like Tv/Film is a key factor particularly in the twenty
first century. Youths do not understand the influence of violent media content
on their moral development because to them it is just a medium for
entertainment. This study examines the potential effect of exposure to violent
films. This study utilizes the qualitative approach to collect information from
youths, media practitioner/producer, representative of Nigeria Film and Video
censor Board (N.F.V.C.B.) and non-government organization. It was gathered from
the study that excessive viewing of violent films by youths has the potential
to influence youths to accept violence as an acceptable way of resolving
conflict especially when violence is depicted to be justified in such films.
Also the depiction of sexual violence in films may register in the subconscious
of youths and may lead to attempt to replicate such acts in real life. The
study also gathered that youths are still in active development stage as such
excessive viewing of violent films may pervert their moral development.
However, in seeking to contribute to ways of tackling this potential effects of
violent films on youths, this study recommended that youth should be educated
to avoid watching films with graphic violence and explicit sexual content.
Parents should be aware of the potential effect of violent films on their
children. Government agencies should curb the influx of pirated Hollywood films
and sensitize youths and parents on the effect of violent films on people. This
has become urgent because youths are the future of our nation and their moral
development must be nurtured to produce leaders and parents for a morally
upright society.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
Title page – –
– – – – –
– – -i
TOC o “1-1” h z u
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study – –
– – – – -1
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem – – –
– – -16
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study- – –
– – – -17
1.4 Research Questions – – – –
– – – -17
1.5 Significance of the Study – –
– – – – -17
1.6 Scope
of Study – – –
– – – – -18
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.0 Introduction – – – –
– – – – -20
2.1 Conceptualizing Violence – –
– – – – -20
2.2 How Film Violence Affects youths – –
– – – -24
2.3 The Attraction of Violence in Films
– – – – –
– -28
2.4 Representation and Perception in
Films – –
— – – – –
— –
-30
2.5 Media Violence Cited as ‗Critical Risk
Factor‘ for Children Aggression- – — 35
2.6 The Term ―Violence‖ in Television
Studies- – – – –
– 37
2.7 Television and Filmic Violence and the
Emotional Impact on youths – –40
2.8 The Glamorization of Film and TV Violence
– – – – -41
2.9 Justification of Violence in Films – – – – – — —–42
2.10 Risk Factors for Violence
and Aggression among Youths – –
– –43
2.11 Media Outlets that Portray Violence – – – –
–46
2.12 The Concept of Morality- – –
– – – –
– – 48
2.13 History
of Hollywood – – – – – –
– –51
2.14 Theoretical Framework- – –
– – – –
– – 54
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
– –
– – – – –
– – 62
3.2 Research Design- –
– – – – –
– 62
3.3 The Study Population – –
– – – – –
-63
3.4 Instruments of Data Collection – –
– – – –
64
3.6 Method of Data Collection- – – –
– – – – –
67
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS
AND INTERPRETATION
4.0 Introduction – – – – – – 69
4.1 Synopsis
of the Film ―The Hostel‖ – – –
– – –
– 69
4.2 Synopsis
of the Film ―Last house on the Left‖ —
— – – –71
4.3 Acts of Violence Portrayed in the Film
―The Hostel‖- – –
– – 72
4.4 Acts of Violence Portrayed in the Film
―Last House on the Left‖ – – –
80
4.5 Implication
of the Films for Youths Moral Development –
– – 86
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, SUGGESTIONS AND
CONCLUSSION
5.0 Introduction
– –
– – – – –
– – 111
5.1Summary –
– –
– – – – –
– 111
5.2The Study
Major Findings- – – – – – – 112
5.3
Suggestions – –
– — – – –
– – 112 5.4 Conclusion
– – – — –
– – – –
115
References – – – –
– – – – – – 117
Appendix – – – –
– – – – – – 128
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Background to the Study
There are
several factors that shape up an individual‘s character and disposition to
life; these factors include family traits, culture, peer group, media and
environment amongst others. Consequently, the convergence of these myriad of
factors could impact positively or negatively on an individual.The media as a
vehicle of entertainment, education and information plays a very vital role in
the life of a youth due to its audio-visual nature.In fact it is sometimes
referred to as the third parent.In the same vein, the media include TV, film,
music, radio, video games as well as the internet and its accompanying gadgets.
However, next to music, films are considered to be popular amongst youths.
Freeman, (1998)
posits that, film is the transformation of visual and auditory possibilities
into a reliable and intelligible totality resulting from the imaginary element
of the imagination.In other words, films use our knowledge of how the world
works as the basis for the structure of its representation and therefore we see
film sequence as mimetic representation which is illusory and symbolic. Viewers
tend to identify with the human traits, physical abilities, spoken words and
emotion of characters in films. Youths are the major consumers of films; the
perception of what is real and unreal is not as acute as an adult because they
are still in their formative years. This implies that aggressive adults learn
theirbehaviour as youths.
Youths represent
able bodied yet inexperienced segment of society. As the saying goes, youths‘
have the brawn, but not the brain. Within the restless human species, youths
are particularly agitated and excitable group on the path to maturity. They
have to experience social life, develop the inherent individual faculties and
discover the limits of ability. The word youth has been defined variously by
different scholars and organizations. According to Zillman(1991:27), youth
refers to a period between adolescence and adulthood in a postmodern era. He
emphasizes that it is a new stage of life which millions of young Nigerians
enter today. The United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF (1972) sees those between
the age of 15 and 25 years as youth, but Johnson in Fenigsten (1979) insists
that youth cuts across age, pointing to culture as what really
matters.According to him any one who feels youthful, and exhibit qualities such
as spontaneity, impulsiveness, energy, etc is a youth.
This study
however focuses on films as a potential risk factor in influencing and
stimulating violence and aggression particularly amongst youths. Youths who
fall within the age range of 15 to 25 usually constitute the demography in
Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Tertiaryinstitutions
in Nigeria are expected to play a major role in the countries human resource
development to shape youths to become responsible members of the society and to
serve as vibrant centers of productive research and academic excellence.
However, violence has become a serious bane among tertiary institutions in
Nigeria, and intensely so in the last two decades. The tertiary institutions
are the major points where the bulk of adolescence are students. Authoritative
source from a study conducted by (Iheoma, 2008) confirmed that an average total
of 23,650 Nigerian undergraduates were indicted for violence related offences
and were either suspended or rusticated from the system between 2001 and 2008.