CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO STUDY
The phenomenon of son meta-preference is not new in many parts of Africa and Asia. Particularly in India, China and Korea, the spate of son meta preferences has risen considerably in recent times. Indeed in various parts of the world where the problem exists, it is gradually becoming a social problem due to the increasing number of studies reporting its seemingly unabated recent growth . As common in many low and middle income levels countries of the world, son preference is also deeply rooted in the cultures of people in many parts of Nigeria (Fayehun, Omololu, and Isiugo-Abanihe, 2011). Son meta preference is the phenomena where parents continue to produce children until the desired number of sons are born.
However, in all the societies of the world that are commonly associated with a strong cultural preference for sons, several reasons why parents want a son or more sons have been identified. Reasons such as patrilocality, expectations of old-age support, performance of rituals that only sons can perform, most especially about matters relating to death and male primogeniture, have all been adduced as factors influencing son meta preference in many parts of the world Das Gupta et al, 2003).
Consequently, There are various factors that can contribute to the ideology of son meta preference in individuals, that is, how do these factors increase the intention or drive toward son meta preference among unmarried individuals. When these factors exits, does it have an effect on the way they view or perceive son meta preference? Do they have the intentions of titling towards it? Do they regard it as a normal occurrence or phenomena in the society? Do they know the consequences of seeing son meta preference as a normal occurrence in the society? These concerns highlight the need for this study, that is to know how certain socio-demographic variable affect the intentions of undergraduates towards son meta preference and also to fill a gap in body of knowledge by providing vital information that would be gotten from this study. This research looks at 4 socio-demographic variables and how they affect the intentions of undergraduates in redeemers university. They are; Ethnicity, religion affiliation, sex and the economic background of these undergraduates.
When we view the concept of sociological imagination gives us the idea that it is almost impossible for an individual to be totally objective, that is a person cannot be separated from his or her background and under this we are looking at the ethnic background of individuals. Therefore is it possible for an individual to completely rid him or herself of their ethnic values to the extent that it does not affect their decision in the society? In relation to this study, this means that how much of a factor is a persons ethnicity when it comes to how they view the son meta preference phenomenon.
According to a study that utilized data from the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, the effect of sex of prior births on the birth interval is slightly significant among the Igbo and the Southern minorities, who tend to desire to have a male child sooner if preceding births were female, with the possibility of increasing their total fertility(Fayehun, Omololu, and Isiugo-Abanihe, 2011).
A people’s perception of the world or their worldview is distilled into their culture. A people’s culture in turn becomes the harbinger and vehicle of what is valuable and meaningful. What makes and what does not make meaning in life, as well as, what is of value or valueless are transmitted from generation to generation via a people’s culture (Augsburger, 1986). Therefore, the son meta preference intentions of undergraduates might be highly influenced by the cultural practise of their ethnic background.
For example, most people of South-Eastern Nigeria , and in some instances, believe that male children are more precious or of more value than female children. In the socio-political structure of the Igbo people, females are not recognized and welcomed in the assembly of men, male children are preferred to female children because a man without a son is perceived as having lived a worthless life. His lineage is forgotten and at death his female children forfeit his own share of any landed property or asset which belongs to the extended family (Aligwekwe, 1991; Nwokocha, 2007).
A traditional kinship structure predicts well the nature of preferences: son preference prevails in patrilineal ethnic groups only and most ethnic groups in Nigeria are patriarchal in nature.
So therefore an individual whose life is highly influenced by his or her culture can be seen as tilting towards son meta preference, thus, other ethnic backgrounds with similar or contrary beliefs to this can also influence the belief of individuals toward son meta preference, therefore this study studies ethnicity in relation to how much it affects the intentions of undergraduates towards son meta preference.
Furthermore, how the sex of individuals would affect their intentions towards son meta preference, that is would an individual continue to reproduce until the preferred sex is produced. For instance, would a male individual continue to reproduce until he births a male child solely on the fact that he is also male?
As humans, we tend to take a liking to things that have similar characteristics as we do, so therefore, this provides a room for the hypothesis derived from this study that the sex of an individual would determine his or her son meta preference. Would women have lesser probability of having son meta preference because they are not men?
Moreover, according to previous research, women were seen to be the ones soliciting to have more male children and this can also be influenced by culture as aforementioned. So, this study views the relationship between sex and son meta preference, that is if the sex of the respondents will determine their intentions regarding son meta preference,
In the United states, occupational score of father(derived from considerations of the education and income level associated with each occupation) appeared(1968) to be directly related to family size preference for children from each grade(S,O, Gustavus, 1973). According to R. Ropetto 1972, in Iran societies, the ideal amount of male children is highly influenced by both monetary and non-monetary income of the household and how the contribution to household income of different children differs.
Therefore,most individuals feel that sons have more economic advantage to the family, for instance, an underprivileged family might not see the need to invest in the education of their daughters because they feel that the girl child will later be married off and be more profitable to her husband’s family as she begins to bear his name.
This would propel their need to have more male children due to the fact that the benefits will remain in the family, and also having more female children can be considered as expensive and that a girl child might not be able to alleviate the economic position of the family, in contrast to what they perceive of male children, however, this can be seen as of the reasons for child selective abortion.
Therefore, in context of the above this study examines the economic background of undergraduates in Redeemer’s university vis-a-vis their son meta preference intentions.
********Religion affiliation and son meta preference
Religious groups play a major role in the lives of individuals especially in a country like Nigeria
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Most societies show some degree of preference for sons, though mostly so mild as to be virtually undetectable (Williamson 1976). However, son preference strong enough to result in substantial levels of excess female child mortality is manifested in East and South Asia, including China, South Korea, and India. Excess female child mortality is a longstanding problem in all three settings. In China and India the practice of female infanticide was noted at least a century ago, and in Korea and India high juvenile sex ratios have been documented since the first modem censuses were taken. By contrast, there seems to be little son preference in Southeast Asia or in most other parts of the world.The need to have at least one son has made India home to around 21 million unwanted girls. Although son meta-preference is in existence globally, it is prevalent in Nigeria, North Korea, India and China.
According to the study carried out by Inyang-Etoh and Ekanem (2016), 453 women were surveyed, most were married, and a vast majority 294(64.9%) of the mothers preferred to have male children, this goes ahead to show that even females have a son meta-preference. According to Kim, Oh JK, Yoon, Kim SW(2015), they observed that the sex of offspring might be more influenced by maternal rather than paternal factors.
A common perception of sons preference on daughter was the ascribed ability of sons; to contribute more to family income, provide adequate support to parents in old age; carry on family name and impose minimal financial burdens on their parents, women employment problems and male inheritance also favored son preference in Taiwan.
As there is no published examination about the son meta preference intentions among individuals, therefore there is a gap in knowledge regarding the perceptions of undergraduates about son meta preference.
However, if the western experience is of any indication, son preference is a phenomenon that is subjected to culture change,seeing as the positions of women is improving in different societies across the world, we are likely to see the son preferences and its consequences slowly fading away, eventually disappearing completely.
1.3 Research Questions
Based on this study, the following research questions were formulated;
1. Would the sex of undergraduates influence their opinion about son-meta preference?
- 2. To what extent would economic background of undergraduates influence their perspectives regarding son-meta preference?
3. Does the ethnicity of undergraduates influence their views regarding son-meta preference?
4. Does the religion affiliation of undergraduates influence their opinion regarding son-meta preference?
5. To what degree would religious beliefs of undergraduates determine their views on son-meta preference?
1.4 Research Objectives
The purpose of this study is to document the intentions of undergraduates on son meta preference in Redeemer’s University and certain sociodemographic variables. Specifically, the following are the objectives;
- To gauge whether sex of undergraduates would determine their opinions about son-meta preference.
- To analyse determine whether economic background of undergraduates will influence their perspectives regarding son-meta preference.
- To document how the ethnicity of undergraduates will influence their views regarding son-meta preference.
- To examine whether religion affiliation of undergraduates will influence their opinion regarding son-meta preference.
- To determine if the religious beliefs of undergraduates will determine their views on son-meta preference?
1.5 Research hypothesis
In line with the research qiuesttions, the following hypotheses were formulated;
H01: There is a significant relationship between son meta preference intentions of redeemers undergraduate students and their socio-demographic variables
H02: There is no significant relationship between son meta preference intentions of redeemers undergraduate students and their socio-demographic variables
1.6 Significance of study
it is hoped that this study will be able to add to various bodies of knowledge, existing theories and literature of relevant content. This research will also serve as background for further researches. It will offer new knowledge regarding underlying factors that influnence the son meta preference intentions of undergraduates in reeemers university. Lastly, the findings of this study would also serve as a stepping stone for certain beneficiaries that this study would be beneficial to.
1.7 Scope and Delimitations of the Study
The scope of this study, in terms of population is all undergraduates in redeemers university in osun state, and this work is delimited to only undergraduates within the school premises. Content wise, the study covers ethnicity, sex, economic background, religious affliation as the demographic variables it would be studying in relation to the son meta preference intentions of undergraduates in redeemers university osun state.
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
Son: a male child or person in relation to his parents, a male child or person adopted as a son; a person in the legal position of a son, any male descendant
Son-meta preference; the phenomena where parents continue to produce children until the desired number of sons are born.
Intentions;an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result,a plan in your mind to do something.
Undergraduates: This is a term used to refer to individuals who is currently attending a university with the aim of achieving a bachelor’s degree.
