CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Family is the oldest human institution in many ways, it is the most basic unit. It is society’s most basic unit. The entire civilization have survived or disappeared depending on whether family life was strong or weak. Before the institution is established, there must be a union of a man and woman, this union is call marriage. Mba (1980) stated that marriage is the state in which man and woman give themselves to each other in their life together and in procreation and training of ospring’s. The clear and certain knowledge of this institution is obtained only from the ideal of creation as revealed to the people of God in the Old Testament. Thus, most of us grew up in a firm belief that marriage would it did for our parents, friends and parent tomorrow. Certainly, the moves on the television programmes, the books and magazines we read all had a way of convincing us that marriage would not only solve our problems but would last a life time.

Thus, in our society, adult is counted as an active member of the society if he/she is married. In view of this, it is a drama in that everyone becomes an actor or actress and not just a spectator. This day, things are changing because of rising tide of the powerful new interest in human, generated by the liberation movement, the life of woman alone, wisdom, divorce and separated are beginning to come in for a lot more attention and recognition today. Today, there are lots of books, articles, drama on the legal and emotional aspect of separation, on the changing status of the working couples, on the financial complexities of widowhood on the challenge of single parenthood and of the single woman’ s level of life. The basic separation of homes is like being faced with the pieces of a complicated jig saw puzzle, and asked to fit then together in a meaningful and satisfying way.

Before now, marriage in African context was being dominated by men folk. The duty of the woman was to cook, keep home and farm, movement for her was restricted. Men who travel to pass does that in groups or in company of leaders. While the man is away, another elder is in the family takes care and control of all the members of the family till the man returns from the journey. That is to say that woman then lives under the care, control and protection of men hence they live behind their husband’s huts. The emergence of the civilization, education and modern life have lied the status of the woman in the society, some are stronger than men in the family and in the all capacities expect the naturally endowed powers. Women today take to any job, more about to all part of the world just as men do. They are neither being controlled nor fear that anything will hinder them. Some women today live better than the men. For many of us, the world outside marriage like looks blank and bewildering. How does families who had been living together feel when they are separated? How does woman cope with the kids? This research is not for the men who wonder how he will leave his family for sometimes to a distance place.

This research work will also provide an encouragement and sound advice on attendant problems that emanate from living separately such as emotional and practical issues that faces a couple living apart, love and friendship work and money, daycare and decision making while a husband is away from home. Arastrong (1974) observed that family man be separated if one is doing a stint in the armed services for example, he many have the kind of job that requires long absence. About of the illness makes it necessary for one to spend sometime in the reasons for a husband absence from home, a gap is created in the life of the family.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Married couples are said to be people strongly united to live together with a cardinal objectives of security, feeding, companionship, education and procreation. These couples according to culture are meant to live together. These days some married couples run separate homes and thus running into problems, divorce, psychological problem flirting and alcoholism. The above problems have spurred the write to research on the problems and prospects of running separate homes by married couples.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study is to examine the problems and prospects of running separate homes by married couples in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State. Specifically, this study intends to study the following objectives:- (1) To find out cause of running the homes separated by married couples in Orumba South Local Government Area? (2) To find out the possible problems involved in running separate homes by married couples? (3) What are the effects of running homes separately by married couples? (4) To find out the likely prospects of running homes separately by married couples.