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The Social Problems And Academic Performance Of Students In Selected Secondary Schools
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1.2 Theoretical Framework of the Research
The theoretical background for this study stems from four theories. These theories are:
i. The Social Control by Hirschi (1978)
ii. Labeling and conflict theories by Howard Becker (1963) and Karl Marx (1867)
iii. Functional and interactionism theories by Daphend of (1959), and
iv. Social cognitive theory by Albert Bandura (1977 - 1986)
Social control theory by Hirschi (1978)
The
theory asserts that ties to family, school and other aspects of society
serve to diminish one’s propensity for deviant behaviour. As such,
social control theory posits that crime occurs when such bonds are
weakened or are not well established. Control theorists argue that
without such bonds, crime is an inevitable outcome. Unlike other
theories that seek to explain why people engage in deviant behaviour,
control theories take the opposite approach, questioning why people
refrain from offending. As a result, criminality is seen as a
possibility for all individuals within society, avoided only by those
who seek to maintain familial and social bonds. Hirschi, believes that
these bonds are based on attachment to those both within and outside of
the family, including friends, teachers, and co-workers; commitment to
activities in which an individual has invested time and energy, such as
educational or career goals; involvement in activities that serve to
both further bond an individual to others and leave limited time to
become involved in deviant activities; and finally, belief in wider
social values. These four aspects of social control are thought to
interact to insulate an individual from criminal involvement (Siegel and
McCormick, 2006). Researchers have closely examined bonds, schools,
community and religion to determine the strength of social control
theory as it specifically relates to young people. It is proposed that
for young people, a key aspect of social control is found within the
family, particularly through interactions with and feelings towards
parents. Of the studies that have examined the impact of social control
on delinquency, a large proportion has found a negative relationship
between parental attachment and delinquency. As such, it has been found
that the greater the attachment to parents, the lower the likelihood of
involvement in delinquent behaviour. Empirical evidence supports the
notion that parenting practices and parental support can impact violent
offending by youth. In conjunction with parental attachment, adolescent
attachment to school is seen by Hirschi’s social control theory as a
fundamental means of establishing social control. A significant number
of studies pertaining to social control theory include measures of the
role of school attachment and school support in the lives of young
people. It is to be noted, however, that strong attachment to school was
associated with less violent offending. The role of the community and
neighborhood as agents of social control has also been assessed in the
social control literature. In light of the fore-going, this theory is
relevant in explaining the relationship between social issues happening
in secondary schools in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State and
students’ academic performance.
Labeling and Conflict theory by Howard Becker (1963) and Karl Marx (1867)
This
is another theory that strengthens the research investigation. As
propounded by Howard Becker (1963), this theorist viewed deviance as the
creation of social groups and not the quality of some act or behavior.
He believed that social groups create deviance by making rules whose
infraction creates deviance, and by applying those roles to particular
people and labeling them as outsiders. From this point of view, deviance
is not a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a
consequence of the application of rules and sanctions to an’ offender’.
The deviant is one to whom the label has been successfully attached.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]The study basically examined the relationship between social problems in schools and academic performance of students in selected secondary schools in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State. Seven research objectives leading to seven research questions and hypotheses were stated to guide the study. A total number of 250 teachers were carefully selected from the entire population through the method of stratified and simple random strategy. The research design was descriptive survey in nature ... Continue reading---
