Finally, disorganization is a universal phenomenon which cuts across most cultural settings but different environments have some distinguishing reasons, wholesome causes are generally applicable to most societies. Goode (1971) identified the major causes of instability while trying to analyse family disorganization. He based his consideration on large structures in which the family processes take place. Thus, he identified the causes:
i. Illegitimacy: - he described the family in this state as “uncompleted unite. No dissolution could be said to assume to have existed. However, disorganization could result because the role failure of members of the families of both mother and father especially with regard to social control is a major indirect cause of illegitimacy. The potential “father-husband†conspicuously fails in this role obligation as these are defined by the society, mother and child
ii. Re-definition to cultural role: - this leads to instability because it results in deferential cultural changes it may take the form of husband wife conflict or parent-child conflict.
iii. External inducements: - This results in instability due to external events such as the temporary or permanent involuntary absence of one of the spouse because of death or incarceration in jail or because of such impersonal catastrophes as flood, war and depression.
iv. Internalcatastrophes: - This result in instability as a result of involuntary major roles failures through mental or physical pathologies, severe mental retardation of the child, psychosis of the child or spouse or chronic and incurable physical conditions.
v. Empty shell family setting: - This results in instability because individuals live together, but have minimal communication and contact with one another, failing especially in the obligation to one another emotional support.
vi. Separation Divorce, annulment and desertion: - all these could lead to instability because it results in voluntary departure of one spouse. Desertion may also take the form of job desertion in which case the individual uses the excuse ofajob to stay away from home for a long period. The foregoing cause of family instability put emphasis on the fault that the family like other institutional pattern, is an organization of roles, and for the family to be in existence the role performance must not cease.
2.7 Effects of Family Disintegration on the Child and the Family Having
Having written a comprehensive literature on the causes of family disintegration, it is also important to write a detailed literature on the probable effect of broken homes and unstable families have on the child, family and society just to accomplish this study or to satisfy the purpose of this study. The tension and hostility of unresolved conflict between the parents are projected on the child. This is because the family is the place where the child is first socialized in preparation for the larger society and any family instability and faulty socialization process in the family will affect the child’s subsequent relationships in the society.
The study of effect of marital instability on children has fast become a
central point for both discussion and research among Social Scientists.
It has been observed that the rise in the divorce rate over the years
is one of the fundamental changes in Nigeria society. A substantial
number of women and children now spend some fraction of their life in
single female-headed households, leading many to be concerned about
their socio-economic circumstances (Manning & Gupta, 2009). The
dynamics of culture and human relationships have made researchers to
observe many influences, manifestations, happenings and occurrences in
marriage stability within the African society. These manifestations and
occurrences have significant impact on marriage within a society.
However, a recent observation on people’s attitude to marriages, suggest
an alarming negative effect of these impacts (Borgatta&Edgor,
2000). It is pertinent to •note here that marriage is the state of being
united with a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife; the mutual
relation of the husband and wife; the institution whereby men and women
are joined in a special kind of social and legal dependence for the
purpose of founding and maintaining a family; an act of marrying or rite
by which the married status is effected (Gove, 2006). Marriage is
considered to represent a lifelong commitment by two people to each
other and it is signified by a contract sanctioned by the state. It thus
involves legal rights, responsibilities, and duties thatare enforced by
both secular and sacred laws. As a legal contract ratified by the
state, only be dissolved with state permission (Borgatta&Edgor,
2000). In Nigeria for instance, every tribe recognizes some form of the
institution of marriage. In most cultures and religions matured man or
woman is considered to be incomplete without a Spouse
(Aiyetan&Kolapo, 2005, Smith, 2001). It must be noted that there are
different groups, traditions and different marriages but they have one
specific thing in common and that is the changes of the weddings and
marriages pattern, which are influenced by theWestern societies
(Holley, 2001). The influence of the western culture is making the
Traditional polygamous marriage fading away and gradually disappearing
in this contemporary Nigeria society (Aiyetan&Kolapo, 2005) in
another development, marital instability has been described as a
situation whereby the couples deliberately decided to separate for one
reason or the other. The concept of marital instability is associated
with divorce and widowhood. Separation and divorce are social phenomena
which are allowed or created by the husband or the wife or of both.
Meanwhile, widowhood is beyond the control of human being because it is
related to death (Lesmin& Sarah, 2008; Amina, 2010). Meanwhile,
Dunkins, 2000 posited that there are numbers of factors that are
seriously threating stability of marriage in Nigeria and most of these
factors are traceable to some inheritedbehaviour and thinking from the
ancient African society, and imported ideas from othersources that are
beyond the African concept of marriage. These factors are the
significantcauses of marriage instability in Nigeria society; as a
result of their functions and effects within a home. In another
development, Abu&Ardayfio-Schandorf, (2000) noted that the conjugal
family is weak in residential and economic terms when compared with
thematrilineageAsare, (2005) also observed that families nowadays seem
not to care abouttheir wards marriages because in most cases, the choice
of partner is made by the wards themselvescontrary to tradition, where a
choice was made by parents.
