ABSTRACT
The problem of childlessness which is majorly caused
by sickness, diseases and infertility in Awgu L.G.A gave rise to this study.
This study investigated the Public Perception on the Impact of Childlessness on
Married Couples in Awgu Local Government Area, of Enugu state. The study was
conducted between November 2017 and May 2018. Six research questions and two
hypotheses were formulated. The research design used was sample survey
descriptive design. The quantitative and qualitative instruments used for data
collection are Questionnaire and In-depth Interview guide respectively. The
sampling techniques used for this study was multi stage sampling technique.
Four hundred (400) questionnaires were shared randomly among the selected
respondents. Three hundred and seventy questionnaires was retrieved, the data
collected was processed using SPSS software. The statistical tool used to
analyze is computerized statistical package for social science and the chi-
square formulae was used in testing the research hypotheses. From the analysis
of the data, the major findings among others include; sickness and diseases is
the major cause of childlessness, there is a negative attitude of childless
couples towards child adoption and surrogacy as a solution to their problem.
Childless couple also suffer stigmatization, depression, labeling, abuse,
disrespectful attitude from spouse and family members In view of these
findings, the study recommend among others that: mass enlightenment of the
public could help increase the knowledge of the causes of childlessness among
couples and also reduce feeling of inferiority complex among childless
couples. Childless couples should seek
for medical treatment jointly.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the
Study
According to Merlo (2002), procreation
is the function of the family; every man takes a wife apparently to have
children for the continuity of his name and linage and for general productivity
and development in the society. In traditional Igbo society, many wives try to
ensure the procreation of children to its fullest limit. Where this main
purpose of marriage is not forth coming into fulfillment it results to tension.
Zastrow
(2001), identified reasons couples decided to have children, from the origin,
biblically, having children is a blessed event and ranging from religion to
ideology to economic necessity and cultural expectation. Historically, in
agricultural and pre-industrial societies children were seen as economic asset;
their labors were important in planting and harvesting crops and in tending
domestic animals. Parents wanted large families to help with the work because,
children were seen as economic asset, and values were gradually established
that it was natural and desirable for married couples to procreate.
In
a typical traditional society childlessness has been regarded as great personal
tragedy involving much emotional pain and grief, especially when it results
from the failure to conceive (infertility) or when it results from the death of
a child (Charlene, 2007).
According
to Mccury (2005), before conception was well understood, childlessness was
usually blamed on the woman and this in itself added to the high negative
emotional and social effects of childlessness.
The concept “childlessness” can be seen in two senses in this study.
Rowland (2001), Merlo (2002), and Zastrow (2001) describe childlessness as the
willingness to have children but they are not forth coming and childlessness as
the ability to have children but decide not to. Childlessness as the
unwillingness to have children implies to married couples that choose not to
have children and this is termed “child free”. In the same vein childlessness
as the willingness to have children refers to married couples that are ready
and willing to have children but are not able and this is the termed
“involuntary childlessness” (Zastrow 2001), this is the concern of this study.
Some
wealthy families also adopt children as a means of providing heirs in case of
childlessness. The monetary incentives offered by the westerner’s desire for
children are so strong that a commercial market in the child laundering
business exists. Merlo (2002) and Rowland (2001) are of opinion that
childlessness is concern, partly with its implications for the maintenance of
society and partly because of its consequences for individual. Childlessness
has a function of population control but that is not the concern of this study.
The main focus of this study is the effects and implication of childlessness
for married couples in the society.
Throughout
the world and particularly in African societies, the word “childlessness” sends
a cold signal and the sense of pity is immediately aroused. Having children is
necessary for married couples and is considered as a major necessity in
marriage. From cultural and traditional perspective the reason for marriage is
for procreation, continuity of linage and impact or transferring cultural
values and norm form one generation to another within the society (Gibson 2002).
In
modern world, “childlessness” denotes merely the absence of children. The term
has intimations of loss and bereavement, but technically applies to any without
children; whether this is by choice, by circumstance, or by biology is
undermined.
The social
construction in many cultures is that men and women are meant to become parents
and that women especially socialized to become mothers (Gibson, Meyer and Dyer
2002) found that most of the married women considered fertility as the primary
function of being a woman. Becoming a parent will often corroborate feeling of
self worth and sexual identity when people have been socialized into that role.
In essence, the social construction of the role of mothers and fathers has
become a part of the identities of man and woman in the society. A study
conducted by Gibson and Meyers (2002) indicates that in general women experience
more negative effects than men throughout the entire involuntarily childless diagnostic
and treatment process. Women experience a greater sense of loss of control than
men, and have a greater tendency to blame themselves for the couple’s
infertility. Adding to this, women are more likely to perceive childlessness as
simply unacceptable. Many authors suggest that women experience a more
difficult adjustment to infertility than their partners, due in large part to
the emphasis in our society on the role of women as mothers.
The purpose of
this study is to explore the phase women endure from being childless and to
highlight some of the complexities underpinning childlessness and its impacts
on married couple, and family in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu state and
also to gain deeper insight into how women incorporated this experience into their
lives and relationships and how they began to create a future life without
their own biological children.
Based on the trends of
childlessness in Nigeria, this project has been undertaken to ascertain the
extent of peoples’ perception on the impact of childlessness on married couples
in Nigeria using Awgu Local Government Area, Enugu State Nigeria as a case
study.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The number of childless couples is
tremendously on the increase, According to Ugwuanyi (2000), this is evident to
the fact that attempts to initiate a move which would have been directed
towards adoption is taken with serious resistance in some places like Nigeria
mostly by couples without even a child.
According
to Dike (2013) most couples are childless as a result of the degree of their
waywardness when they were young or during their youthful age and unmarried,
such as illicit use of drugs in order to avoid pregnancy, smoking of cigrates,
cocaine, and marijuana e.t.c.
The
World Health Organization (2014) stated that married couples suffer from
childlessness for so many reason such as drug abuse, hard drugs intake,
contraception, numerous abortions, and genetically inherited sickness that
could lead to low sperm count and most cases psychological problems.
According
to Nwapa (2004), some couples attribute to their problem of childlessness to
the supernatural, the hope in God that gives children to remember them at the
appropriate time while some couples usually fall back to their fetish lifestyle
consulting their gods to seek solutions to their problem or appealing their
gods as a means to cleanse them from such predicament. Nwapa also outline that
childlessness can also be seen as consequences from the gods when an abomination
or taboo has been committed, there can also be death of existing children
rendering the married couples childless (Nwapa 2004).
Married
couples faces a lot of problems and discrimination, from the society due to the
fact that the married couples cannot procreate but in the same vein the society
also suffer 30% of this childlessness problem, there will be low manpower and fluctuating number of people in the
workforce and the social structure will not function properly (Hales 2000).
The researcher carried
out a survey to find out the factors that generate childlessness, origin of
childlessness in Awgu and people’s perception about childlessness and its
effects, and implication on married couples in
Nigeria using Awgu Local Government, Enugu State Nigeria as a case study with
the view of proffering solution by ways of recommendation and intervention.
1.3 Research Questions
The
following research questions have been put forward to guide this study.
1. What
are the causes of childlessness in Awgu L.G.A?
2. What
are the social implications of childlessness on married couples in Awgu L.G.A?
3. What
are the cultural implications of childlessness on married couples in Awgu L.G.A?
4. What
are the psychological implications of childlessness on married couples in Awgu
L.G.A?
5. What
are the perceptions of the public towards childless couples in Awgu L.G.A?
6. What
are the solutions to childlessness problem inAwgu L.G.A?
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this study is
to examine the impacts of childlessness on married couple in Awgu L.G.A of
Enugu state. Specifically, the following objectives will be treated:
1. To
find out what are the major causes of childlessness in Awgu L.G.A
2. To
indentify the social implication of childlessness on married couples in Awgu
L.G.A
3. To
indentify the cultural implication of childlessness on married couples in Awgu
L.G.A
4. To
find out the perception of people towards childlessness in Awgu L.G.A
5. To
proffer possible solutions on how to eradicate childlessness problem in Awgu L.G.A.
1.5 Significance of Study
This study has both theoretical and
practical significance.
Theoretically,
the study will provide the perceptions of people towards childless couples in Awgu
L. G.A. The study will provide the basic materials which the researcher in this
topic will find valuable. This study will add to the existing body of knowledge
on medical sociology. It will create room for further research on the
socio-cultural impact of childlessness on married couples in other areas. It
will also provide relevant data on how childlessness creates problems in the
family and Awgu L. G.A at large. It will help to expand their
knowledge
on the concept and impact of childlessness on married couples in Awgu L. G.A and
beyond. It will also provide materials for researchers to anchor their studies
and also provide them with relevant literatures for analysis and review of
relevant literature for analysis and review.
Practically,
the study will be of great relevance to students of sociology. The study will
provide useful information that can be used by health care providers. The
research work is of importance to the researcher as it is a basic requirement
for the award of a university Bachelor of Science degree Findings of this study
will provide useful information that will shade more light on the difficulties
encountered by childless couple and proffer possible solutions to this problem.
1.6 Definition of Terms
Adoption:
The voluntary acceptance of a child of other parents to be the same as one’s
own child through legal term.
Childless:
The absence of children in a family resulting from the inability to conceive a
child by married couple or death of existing children.
Couples:
This refers to a man and woman united and legally bounded in marriage.
Conception:
This refers to the act of conceiving; the fertilization of an ovum by a sperm
to form a zygote.
Culture:
The arts, customs, beliefs, values, behavior and material objects that
constitute peoples’ way of life.
Fertility:
The condition, or the degree of being fertile
Infertility:
The inability to conceive after a period of 12 months of uncontrollable and
unprotected sexual intercourse.
Lineage:
Descent in a line from a common progenitor; descending line of offspring or
ascending line of parentage.
Sexual
intercourse: The physical activity of sex played by
married couples in order for them to produce children or offspring.
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