Abstract
The study is set out to examine the effect of marital conflict among Christian youth in Kargarko local government area of Kaduna state. The rate of marriage failure among young Christian couple in Kargarko LGA is becoming unbecoming. One of the main reasons for high divorce rate is that married people do not know the reason for their marriage; most people marry for selfish reasons. They marry because they believe marriage will satisfy some need in their lives. They want the security of marriage, the sexual pleasure, the companionship, to be affiliated to an influential family, to have children with an individual of a certain status, to earn child support and many other reasons.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page
Approval page
Dedication
Acknowledgment
Abstract
Table of content
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of problem
1.3 Objective of the study
1.4 Research Hypotheses
1.5 Significance of the study
1.6 Scope and limitation of the study
1.7 Definition of terms
1.8 Organization of the study
CHAPETR TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
CHAPETR THREE
3.0 Research methodology
3.1 sources of data collection
3.3 Population of the study
3.4 Sampling and sampling distribution
3.5 Validation of research instrument
3.6 Method of data analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Introductions
4.2 Data analysis
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary
5.3 Conclusion
5.4 Recommendation
Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Christianity as a religion in Nigeria has become the biggest among other religions such as African Traditional Religion (ATR), Islam and Hinduism. Historically, Christianity in Nigeria was started by missionaries prior to colonialism during the 1890s. Types of Christian churches in Nigeria include; Pentecostal, evangelical, apostolic and mainline churches. These churches can be either has originated locally or foreign (which can be regional, continentally and worldwide). Despite the type of the church which one goes marital conflicts causes different effects which disrupt harmony among couples. The institution of marriage is as old as the creation of man. It is the coming together of two persons in love with consent of parents, guardians and witnesses for the purpose of procreation and companionship. In the context of this work, it is the heterosexual relationship of consenting adults who maintain some form of socially approved sexual relationship, sharing a common residence, engaging in economic co-operation and procreation. Marriage is expected to be an affair of intimacy and compromise, where spouses complement each other. It is also expected to be “for better and for worse” but the current trend in the marriage dyad departs from these traditional assertions, as the marital union is today a mere association where rancor, conflict, savage mutual attacks are endemic (Burk, 2000; Dadi, 2004). Today the couples tend to dwell together only when things are rosy and prefer to leave or separate when misunderstandings occur or when a conflictual situation arises. Despite the threats of the disintegration in marriages, there are still model marriages whose dispositions give hope for badly managed ones. At times, these effects do not affect couples and their families, but also the reputation of the church and society at large (Walter, 2010). Marriage takes many forms, some of which include monogamy, polygamy, come-we-stay and homosexuality. According to The Oxford English Dictionary, (Murray et aI., 2018), monogamy is marriage with only one wife or husband at a time while polygamy is marriage in which a husband has more than one wife. In traditional society, polygamy was mainly allowed to ensure that every girl was married, provision of labour and as a source of wealth. Monogamy from the standpoint of Christian standards is the acceptable form of marriage in modern Africa. Polygamy is having more than one wife at one time. In an attempt to address the conflict that arises between married couples, Mbiti (2013) asserts that there is a great difference between the traditional setting of marriage and the modern times. Modem marriage, on the other hand, is dominated by materialism as can be seen in the high expenditure wedding ceremonies. The marriage ceremony has become a competition and a show off, instead of being humble and for the purpose of fulfilling certain rituals and many a time the man has taken a huge loan, which leaves the newly wed in heavy financial debts. This causes financial strain and greatly decreases the affection and intimacy the two would have otherwise enjoyed. They start quarrelling and blaming each other for the problems. Gitau (2013), asserts that the African family has been going through many social changes, especially in the urban areas. This process of change has caused much movement of people from rural areas to urban centers, mainly to look for jobs. Farst (2009), says that no longer are marriages a clan affair but they are based on mutual affection of two persons who meet in different social situations, fall in love and stay together or plan to “officially” marry without the close involvement of parents and relatives. Often such marriages do not last, or if they do, the couple goes through a lot of stormy episodes. According to Amato and Previti (2003) marital disputes originate from different causes. Infrequently, they get worse and lead to divorce. Frequently, conflicts are fought in subtle ways such as verbal abuse, communication breakdown, blame game, public criticism, sarcastic comments, intimidations, degrading comments, physical fights, deaths and insensitivity. These approaches are wrong, and they tend to worsen the situation than resolving. One of the key functions of Christian churches was to maintain family life and live in a `godly way`. However, divorce cases and domestic disputes were on the rise.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The background of some couples in marriage today has a serious negative impact on their family and society at large. They are alone in the midst of others dependent on their marital disposition, which is sickly due to lack of adjustment to marital vows. Marital distress, conflict, family uncertainty among couples could threaten societal values, an embarrassment to themselves, children and their community where they co-habit and this pose a negative influence. Eniba (2009) observed that the element responsible could be improper communication. Some couples lack the way without to express their feelings which causes breakdown in communication leading to misunderstanding of one another. Marriage relationships are said to have become generally strained in recent past, especially among literate couples, as indicated by scholars like Obe, (2007) and Carew (2017). Efforts have, however, been made by scholars, churches, professional organizations, etc. to curb this menace. Yet, the incidence of marital conflict and disharmony appears endemic as the stabilizing of personality role of marriage and the family wanes at alarming rates. Scholars, teachers, churches, etc. are at a loss on the options 10 available for identifying the causes of this situation in their attempt to proffer solutions. Otuji, 2000 and Ode 2001 feel that marriages, especially among the literate class, have been under serious threat of disintegration. This situation is said to be caused partly by age at marriage, childlessness or barrenness and extended family interference. This situation has serious implications for the stability of the family with consequences on the children’s personality, growth and adjustments. Marital instability affects the society, going by the rate of divorce and the direct impact on the children, who, in most cases, grow to be social misfits and a nuisance. This situation appears to be nation-wide, as studies by Agim (2007) Obe (2017) and Carew (2015) of couples in Begiaka area of Cross River State, in Iga Okpaya districts of Benue state and University of Maduguri and of Borno State respectively confirm. These studies conclude that educated couples, despite their education, still have discrepancies in their views on issues that are conflict-prone. The effects (social, economic, political, personal and cultural) of this situation have remained worrisome to scholars and planners as well (Landis 2007, Nwobi, 2005 and Ume 2000). The end result of any marital instability is a breakdown of the union or divorce, home desertion, juvenile delinquency, truancy, school drop outs, lukewarm attitude to study, indiscipline, etc (Igbo 2007, Nwobi 2017, Igbo 2000,). Problems that could have been handled succinctly and cooperatively by couples are often allowed to degenerate to crisis levels, which, in turn, result in emotional dislocation that often leads to marital instability. This situation generates fear and impedes proper adjustments among couples.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The study has one main objective which is divided into general and specific objectives, the general objective is to examine the implication of marital conflict among Christian youth, the specific objectives are;
- i) To examine the effect of marital conflict on the love life of Christian youth
- ii) To examine if there is any significant relationship between marital conflict and healthy Christian life
iii) To examine the role of the church in ameliorating the implication of marital conflict among Christian youth
- iv) To proffer suggested solution to the identified problem
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION
The following research questions were formulated by the researcher to aid the completion of the study;
- i) Is there any effect of marital conflict on the love life of Christian youth?
- ii) Is there any significant relationship between marital conflict and healthy Christian life?
iii) Does the church play any role in ameliorating the implication of marital conflict among Christian youth?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following research hypotheses was formulated by the researcher to aid the completion of the study
H0: There is no significant relationship between marital conflict and healthy Christian life
H1: There is a significant relationship between marital conflict and healthy Christian life
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings of the study will be of importance to Christian youth as the study seek to explore the causes of marital conflict among Christian couple, the study will also be of great importance to religious leaders as the findings of the study will aid in counseling section of intending couples as this will lessen the prospect of marital conflict, the study will also be of importance to researcher who intend to embark on a study in a similar topic as the findings will serve as a reference point to further studies. Finally, the findings will be of importance to students, teachers, academia's and the general public as the study will add to the pool of existing literature on the subject matter and also contribute to knowledge.
1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study covers the implication of marital conflict among Christian youth with emphasis on Kargarko LGA of Kaduna state. But in the course of the study, there are some factors that limit the scope of the study which were out of the researchers control
- a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL:
The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study.
- b) TIME:
The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
- c) FINANCE:
The finance available for the research work does not allow for wider coverage as resources are very limited as the researcher has other academic bills to cover.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
Conflict
A conflict is a clash of interest. The basis of conflict may vary but, it is always a part of society. Basis of conflict may be personal, racial, class, caste, political and international. Conflict in groups often follows a specific course
Marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally recognised union between people, called spouses, that establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between them and their in-laws
Christian
Christians are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Youth
Youth is the time of life when one is young, and often means the time between childhood and adulthood.
Marital conflict
Marital conflict is not just a difference of opinion. Rather, it is a series of events that have been poorly handled so as to deeply damage the marriage relationship.
1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows. Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (background of the study), statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope of the study etc. Chapter two being the review of the related literature presents the theoretical framework, conceptual framework and other areas concerning the subject matter. Chapter three is a research methodology covers deals on the research design and methods adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.
