ABSTRACT
This study investigated influence of cultural background on students interpersonal relationship in Federal Colleges of Education in South-east geopolitical zone. Four research questions and four null hypothesis guided the study. A 24 item researcher developed questionnaire were administered to 1,875 students of Federal College of Education in the South-east geopolitical zone. The data collected were analyzed using mean scores and standard deviation while t-test statistics were used to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that: cultural background influences the level at which students relates with one another in school, religion influences students interpersonal relationship in school, ethnic nationality and affiliation influences students’ interpersonal relationship in school and interpersonal relationship among students of different cultural background could be improved via cultural integration, inter-ethnic marriage, respect for cultural values and adoption of one language as a mode of communication in school.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE- – – – – – – – – i
APPROVAL PAGE- – – – – – – – ii
CERTIFICATION- – – – – – – – iii
DEDICATION – – – – – – – – – iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS- – – – – – – v
ABSTRACT- – – – – – – – – vi
TABLE OF CONTENT- – – – – – – vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study – – – – – – 1
Statement of the Problem – – – – – – 6
Purpose of the Study – – – – – – – 7
Significance of the Study – – – – – – 8
Scope of the Study – – – – – – – – 10
Research Questions- – – – – – – – 10
Hypotheses- – – – – – – – – 11
CHAPTER TWO:
Review of Literature- – – – – – – 12
Conceptual framework – – – – – – – 12
Concept of Culture– – – – – – – – 12
Concept of Cultural Background – – – – – 14
Concept of Interpersonal Relationship – – – – 16
Factors Influencing Interpersonal Relationship– – 19
Effort made to improve Good Interpersonal Relationship
Among People of Different Cultural Background in
Nigeria.- – – – – – – – – – 21
Theoretical Framework – – – – – – – 25
The Symbolic-Interaction Theory – – – – – 25
Conflict Theory – – – – – – – – 26
Systems Theory- – – – – – – – 26
Empirical Studies – – – – – – – 27
Summary of Literature review – – – – – 31
CHAPTER THREE
Research Method- – – – – – – – 33
Design of the Study- – – – – – – – 33
Area of the Study- – – – – – – – 33
Population of the Study – – – – – – – 34
Sample and Sampling Techniques- – – – – 34
Instrument for Data Collection:- – – – – 35
Validation of the Instrument. – – – – – – 36
Reliability of the Instrument:- – – – – – 36
Method of Data Collection – – – – – – 37
Method of Data Analysis- – – – – – – 37
CHAPTER FOUR
Presentation of results- – – – – – – 38
Research Question 1- – – – – – – 38
Research Question 2- – – – – – – 41
Research Question 3 – – – – – – – 43
Research Question 4- – – – – – – 46
Summary of the Findings- – – – – – – 51
CHAPTER FIVE
Discussion, Conclusion And Summary – – – – 53
Discussion of the Findings- – – – – – 53
Conclusion of the study: – – – – – – 56
Educational Implication of the Findings- – – – 56Recommendations – – – – – – – 57
Limitation of the study- – – – – – – 58
Suggestion for further study- – – – – – 59
Summary of study – – – – – – – 59
References- – – – – – – – – 61
Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Differences in cultural values among Nigerian society has been even before the coming of the colonial masters. Activities prevalent in Nigeria society mostly takes cognizance of the differences in people’s culture. For instance, the nature of the formation of our political parties, trade, religion and profession have some cultural attachment. Culture which is the way of life of a people which is passed from one generation to another which varies from one society to another. Charles (2012) in his view described culture as the shared patterns of behaviour, interaction, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding, and these shared pattern identifies members of a cultural group while distinguishing these from another-group. This observation was in line with Hifstede (2004), when noted that culture is a cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, spatial relations, concepts of the universe and material objects etc. All these distinguishes members of one category of people from another due to their varying cultural background.
Therefore, cultural background connotes the cultural values which an individual is affiliated with, and which influences his or her behaviour as he interacts with his or her immediate environment. Njoku (2004) described cultural background as variation based on ethnicity, race, socio-economic status, orientation, ideology, geographical location religion and languages of a group of people. This relates to the opinion of Ezenwa (2008) who noted that cultural background is a difference in people’s belief system, value, language, attitude, moral, disposition and taboos which makes them unique from other people. In the same vein, Otite and Ogionwo (2001) noted that cultural background denotes the culture in which an individual belongs to, and which influences his/her actions within a social group with its high tendency of discriminating behaviour. This differences in value system among people of different cultural affiliations may affect their behaviour towards others which may affect their level of inter personal relationship negatively.