CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
This study is on the
effect of violence television programmes on Nigerian Youths using Osun State
Polytechnic, Iree Students as a case study. The term culture has been defined
differently by different people. The different definitions attached to culture
are based on the differences in the orientation of the people.
According to Ekeh (1989),
culture is construct used in an attempt to analyze and integrate events and
ideas in broad spectrum of areas of society.
Jekayinka (2002), states that from
wider perspective, culture includes the total repertoire of human action which
are socially transmitted from generation to generation. Obiora (2002), says the
transformation of culture is gradual and not sudden. He (2002), contends that
culture is a continuous process of change. It changes exactly the same way as
the human being change. It is dynamic, learned, acquired, transmitted or
diffused through contact or means of communication flow from generation to
another. The Nigerian culture is observed to be fading out as a result of the
acceptance and adaptation of the modernist’s solution on to underdevelopment.
One of such theories which relates to this subtle method of assault
international communication is given by Lerner (1956). In his concept of
“empathy”, Lerner states that the inhabitants of third world nations must learn
to empathize with the West for modern transformation of their societies to be
possible.
Schramm (1964), on the other hand, developed an interesting model in
which he equates the level of social development of communication to various
nations. Access to these modern mass media (Radio, Television, films,
telephone, and newspapers) is linked to individual modernity. Nigeria and other
third world countries have reacted to these finding by inventing a substantial
amount of their foreign exchange earnings to import radio and television transmitters
and sets. The television programmes especially provides many powerful models
for children and abundant opportunities for observational learning.
The television programmes include:
1. Depiction
of sex
2. Violence
3. Drug
and Alcohol used
a. Vulgar Language – behaviours. Etc. that
most parents do not want their children to imitate.
Studies have been found by early adolescence that the
average Nigerian children have
watched
thousands of dramatized murders and countless other acts of violence on
television (www.encarta.com).
For many years, psychologists have debated the question of whether watching
violence on TV have detrimental effects on children. A number of experiments
both inside and outside the laboratory have found evidence that viewing TV
violence is relayed to increased aggression in children.
Nigerians as exemplified
by trends in Iree Metropolis where Western exports of television entertainment,
information are shown in NTA Iree, ESBS Television, Minaj Channel, Cartoon
Network, ESPN “Expanded Sports Programmes Network” channel provided by various
satellite transmission operators as DSTV, Multi – Choice, Music television,
Euro – sports, etc. Have raised Nigerians eyebrows to such Western television
programmes. Thereby, making them to behave like them, associate with them and
even speaks like them. Even our generation that is shown on NTA Iree and the
youth perspective on ESBS are presented by youth and replete with music video
of Western origin dominated by rape stars as (Late) Tupac, Beyonce, Ashanti,
50- Cent, Sean Paul, Kelly Rowland, Celine Dion, etc. It is the researcher’s
believe that violence television especially American television exports have a
strategic “weapon” aimed to over power Nigerian youths.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The influence of Western
television programmes on Nigerian youths have been said to be a serious problem
facing Nigerians. Some of these problems are:
1. Inadequate
policy to guard the youths towards violence TV programmes.
2. There
is an erosion of the cultural values.
3. The
imitation of Western cultures especially the American cultures.
4. The
Nigerian youths are faced with brain wash.
Therefore, if the above
problems are not being taking care off, it will lead to a total destruction of
the Nigerians culture.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The researcher’s objective is to conduct an in-depth
research on the influence of Western television programmes on the Nigerian
youths with an insight to determine its implication to Nigerian youths are:
1. To show how the contents of Western
television programme affects Nigerian Polytechnic students.
2. To examines its pervasive impact on
Nigerian Polytechnic student.
3. To know how to isolate Western television
programmes from Nigeria.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The research will help in possible dilution,
domination and finally absorption of the African/Nigerian culture which until
the present has been characterized with good neighbourliness, respect for
elders, virtuousness, community orientation and collectivism. It will enable
the government and policy makers to put adequate measures in place to check the
movement of Western television programmes into Nigeria. It will also help
remove the idea of imitating Western cultures or ways of life from Nigeria. The
conduct of this research will enable the government to know what role the media
can play in the development of a country and therefore, harness the mass media
especially TV in the democratic process and development process in general.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research questions
are arranged questions meant to be asked by the researcher and receives a
feedback (answer) from a respondent. For a researcher to achieve her aim, the
following question should be used.
1. Do
Nigerian youths expose themselves more to TV than other media?
2. Do
they prefer violence TV programmes to locally produced ones and why if yes?
3. Do
Nigerian youths identify more with locally or foreign TV stars as models?
4. Will improvement of local TV/movies
industries improve Nigerian youths preference for local TV product?
1.6 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
1. Hi: More exposure to TV lead to
identification of Western TV stars as models.
Ho: More exposure to TV
do not lead to identification of Western TV stars as models.
2. Hi: The improvement of local TV /movies
industries will increase Nigerian youths’ preference for local TV product.
Ho: The improvement of
local TV/ movies industries will not increase Nigerian youths’ preference for
local TV product.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of this study
is to find out how the violence television programmes affect Nigerian Youths
using Osun State Polytechnic, Iree as a case study.
The institution is being
noted for a constant influence of Western television programs on their cultural
values. Hence, the need for choosing the institution as a case study commenced.
In the cause of the research, oral interview was consulted on both staffs and
students of the institution. But the research depends more on the questionnaire
which were distributed to students and staffs and were completed and returned.
The researcher also consulted some textbooks, Newspapers and journals which
provided a lot of information pertaining to the study.
1.8 ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY
The following were the assumption of this study:
1. A
greater number of Nigerian Polytechnic Students watch TV.
2. Violence
TV programmes have a greater appeal to Nigerian Polytechnic Students than
locally produced programmes.
3. That
the programmes contents of Western TV project symbiotic forms of social reality.
4. The
Western TV is having a greater acculturation on Nigerian Polytechnic Students
in particular and on Nigerian youths in general.
5. That
the improvement of local TV/ movies industries will change Nigerian youths
attitudes towards violence TV programmes.
1.9 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Though this research work
is on the influence of Western television programmes on the cultural valves of
Nigerian youths. It is limited to Osun State Polytechnic, Iree Students
Amorji-nike, Iree, using five departments that were randomly selected from faculties
and hundred and fifty questionnaires that were distributed to them. This is
because of time and resource, had it been that time and resource were available
similar studies would have been done in other private Polytechnic/ schools in
the country so as to ensure a more embracing result.
1.10 CONCEPTIONAL AND OPERATIONAL
DEFINITIONS OF THE TERMS.
Youth:
Conceptual: It
means young men and women.
Operational: It
is defined as students in various Polytechnics in Nigeria and who fall between
the ages of 15 -30
Media:
Conceptual:
The means of giving news and opinions to large number of people.
Operational: The
media is operationalised as TV. Broadcast used to generate or circulate information
to the public.
Cultural Identify:
Conceptual:
it is the self definition, self perception and self- image of a person as a
member of a group exhibiting uniform culture that are consistent with
the values of that group.
Operational: It is those commonly shares
socio-political interpretation and meanings related to the beliefs,
norms, values, attitudes and behaviours within Nigeria.
Cultural Dominance:
Conceptual: This
refers to nations of neocolonialism that uses policy and practice that have effect
to dominate the culture and affairs of less developed countries.
Operational: it
means the conscious and unconscious domination by Western TV media on the media
system of Nigeria.
