CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Ekeh (2012) opined that culture is a construct used in an attempt to analyzed and integrate events and ideals in broad spectrum of area of society. Jakayinka (2002) stated that from wider perspective, culture includes the total repertoire of human actions which are socially transmitted from generation to generation. Obiora (2002), say that the transformation of culture is gradual and not sudden. Culture is a continuous process of change. It changes exactly the same way as the human being change. It is dynamic, learned, acquired, transmitted or diused through contact or means of communication flow from generation to generation (Nwagbara, 2006). The Nigeria culture is observed to be fading out as a result of the acceptance and adaptation of the mode mist’s solution on to underdevelopment. Cultural imperialism is a term used to describe the imposition of foreign culture on the culture of people in developing countries. Cultural imperialism oen refers to America’s cultural influence on other countries, for better or worse (Hasan, 2013). A man’s right lies in his confidence and personality which is greatly nurtured by his culture. Man is essentially the product of his culture. It beats and moulds a person into a particular shape (Edet & Iyorza, 2008). Culture makes one think, speak, dance and behave in a particular manner. It’s culture that makes someone Kanuri, Jukun, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Alago, Tiv, etc.

Africa as a continent and Nigeria as a country have their given cultures which are unique in their own respect and it is reflected in the lifestyle of its people. This culture may not be absolutely the same among all countries and even within a country, a lot of cultures exist but there are features that dierentiate Nigerians from other people of the world. The issue here is that any person with passion for the African culture today will believe that, the very material, spiritual and aesthetic fabric of African people had been destroyed by foreign culture considering the lifestyle of Nigerian youths today. Nigeria which is made up of rich and diverse cultural values is beginning to lose most of its cultural ideals especially through the adoption of foreign culture showcased through the mass media. Nowadays, it is observed that our youth have abandoned our local attires such as the ‘Adire’ and ‘Ankara’ for alien attires.

It is common to see young people (youth) walking across the streets half nude putting on micro mini skirts, handless top, trousers and other outfits that are not part of our cultural identity. Africans and indeed Nigerians have their traditional attires, but how many youth proudly abide by the culture and wear such traditional attires today? A visit to banks in Nigeria will give you a perfect example. In fact, it is mandatory in the banks that you wear a suit except on Fridays that you are allowed to wear native attire. The question we must answer is whether wearing of suit part of Nigerian culture or foreign culture. One of the negative roles the mass media plays in our today’s society is the dominance and propagation of violence particularly on television and video film industry. A lot of the foreign film content on television is mainly scenes of violence. The actors who engage in murder and other violent actors are portrayed as heroes. Home video, which is very popular now with Nigerian films, also carries the same theme. Research has shown that children who watch violence on screen are most prone to violent behavior in adulthood. This foreign culture of gansterism and violence has changed the lifestyle of Nigerian youth has it can be seen in the rate of cultism activities in Nigeria Universities.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It has been observed in recent times that the lifestyle of Nigerian youth has been continually changing in line with the changes in foreign culture. The culture of the US and the UK has particularly influenced the lifestyle of Nigerian youths greatly. The tendency for people to imitate, emulate and copy what they see (in the media) is a major cause of this situation especially as seen in the emerging culture of the country’s youth. The youths try to sheepishly copy the lifestyle of the advanced world as presented by the media. To dress, walk and do anything resembling foreign way of life is seen as a significant index of one’s social standing. This can be attributed to the fact that the closer a person’s attitude is to foreign norms and values, the greater the opportunity open to the person and the higher the person’s position on the social ladder.

The youths are deluded to think that they have vast individual choices and opportunities to believe, think, behave and dress in a foreign way. Unfortunately, the addiction to this borrowed lifestyle leaves the individual without an identified culture and this eliminates him/her from the society. The sad side of the exposure to foreign media on the culture of a society is that the glorification of foreign lifestyle goes side by side with condemnation of the local culture. This creates a situation where Nigerians are becoming more British or America than the Americans or British themselves and this invariably creates marginal individuals to the extent that they are neither here nor there. This research is therefore examining he effect of foreign culture on the lifestyle of Nigerian youths