CLOTHING MOTIVATIONS AND BEHAVIOUR OF FEMALE UNDERGRADUATES IN UNIVERSITIES IN BENUE STATE

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to investigate the clothing motivations and behaviour of female undergraduates in universities in Benue State. Specifically the study determined (i) The motivating factors or the reasons underlying the selection and wearing of clothing by female undergraduates in Benue State universities. (ii) The types of clothing items worn by the female undergraduates. (iii) Clothing guidelines of female undergraduates in universities in Benue State. (iv) Problems encountered by the female undergraduates in clothing themselves. (v) Solving problems  of  female  undergraduates  clothing  in  universities.  Five  research questions were developed and two null hypotheses were formulated and tested at

0.05level of significance. The study was conducted in Benue state. The population for the study consisted of 6619 female undergraduates from federal university of agriculture. Benue state university and university of Mkar while 659 constituted the sample for the study. A structured questionnaire with five sections was used as instrument for data collection. Mean was used to analyse the data generated from the research questions while ANOVA was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that fifteen motivating factors underlined the selection and wearing of clothing; sixteen types of clothing items were selected and worn, with eighteen guidelines for wearing clothing items by female undergraduates in the universities in Benue State. Twenty two problems were encountered by the female undergraduates in their choice of clothing and thirteen ways of solving the problems encountered by female undergraduates were identified. There was no significant difference in the mean responses of female undergraduate students in federal, state and private universities on the motivating factors  underlying  the  selection  and  wearing  of  clothing  and  guidelines  for wearing the items. It was recommended that the university administrations should incorporate element of good etiquette into the orientation programmes of the first year undergraduates. It was also recommended that good clothing for females should be incorporated into the programme of Nigerian universities as compulsory course to be taken by female undergraduate.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Clothing is anything placed on the body to adorn or to motivate behaviour (John and Foster, 1990). It includes all the different garments, accessories or ornaments worn by people as well as their make-up and styles. Theories have attempted to explain the motivation factors underlying clothing choices and decision. Such theories include: modesty, immodesty, protection and adornment theories (Marshal Jackson, Stanley, Kefgen and Touchie 2000).

Modesty theory focuses on standard regarding the area of the anatomy to be concealed and state that clothes are worn solely to conceal or cover nakedness (Marshal et al. 2000). Various cultures have rules about modesty that relate to their use of clothing. The immodesty theory on the other hand states that clothing is  not  to  cover nakedness but  to  attract attention. The  argument here  is  that wearing of garment is far erotic than in going without them (Marshal et al. 2000). The protection theory view physical protection and psychological protection as major reasons of  purpose of  wearing clothes. Adornment theory stresses that clothing is used to decorate or adorn the body according to the standard or culture (Weber, 1990). People adorn themselves via clothing for many reasons for adornment namely for psychological protection to ward off evil spirit, for sexual attraction  and  as  means  of  motivating  the  female  undergraduates  clothing practices.

Clothing protects the human body from extreme weather and other features of the environment. It is worn for safety, comfort and modesty and to include all the different garments, accessories or ornaments worn by people as well as their make-up and  styles.  Many theories have  attempted to  explain the  motivation factors underlying clothing choices and decision. Such theories includes: modesty, immodesty, protection and adornment theories (Marshal, Jackson, Stanley, Kefgen and Touchie, 2000).

People therefore wear different types of clothing based on certain motivations and this affects their behaviours. Motivation is a process in which people choose between alternative forms of behaviour in order to achieve personal goals (Cole 2002). Motivation involves internal force that actuates behavioural pattern, through process, action or reaction. Negative force or positive forces can act as actuators. When used affectively, this force can help individuals or group work toward achieving common goals. These forces can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. For motivation to take place the intrinsic and the extrinsic force in an individual must produce a behavioural change.

Motivation is varied by socio-economics, group. Culture, background and the programming of the brain. This means that clothing helps to form impressions about an individual cultural, emotional, moral, educational, social etc. status and personality (Fialola and Pullen 1982 in Ozuogwu 2004). It follows that an individual’s clothing is an important factor in the interpretation of body image, which in turn affects response behaviour of his observers (Buckey and Rouch

1981 in Ozuogwu 2004). If people are to present a good visual image and be accepted, they must wear the right clothing at the right time.

Behaviour is individualistic Nwachukwu (1992) defined behaviour as the response of an organism to the surrounding. Every form of behaviour simple of complex is a reaction to a stimulus. A stimulus comes from both living and non living part of the organism’s environment. Man is the only species of animal that has the ability to describe stimuli. In its broadest sense Russell and Pearce (1993) refer to behaviour as the feeling of emotion associated with a given object of entity. Clothing can create wide variety of feelings and emotions. Behaviour is used here to express the feeling or emotions associated with the undergraduates clothing when dressed in different attires for various occasions,

Clothing motivations in relation to behaviour is determined by inter-alia, the wearer awareness and perception of self, which in turn is dependent on her age bracket (Kelly and Eubanks 1981 in Ozuogwu 2004). The three universities in Benue State are dominated by late adolescence and youth within the age bracket of

17 and above. This period covers the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is one of the most crucial periods in an individual’s life because during this period, social, biological, economic, demographic events occur that set the stage for adult life (Akingba and Adeniyi, 1987). In this regard, (Steinberg 1985 in Illiya, 2004) states that clothing is an important domain of life. Undergraduate’s appraisals by their peers of their appearance and action become a major concern in their lives and play a significant role in developing their self-concepts. They also identify

themselves with their peers, and develop conformity to preferred styles of clothing behaviour or action established in the undergraduate subculture. Clothing motivations  in  relation  to  the  behaviour  of  the  female  undergraduates  in universities in Benue State assist them to develop a higher sense of competence or make them feel good about themselves. In relation to these clothing behaviours at times the female undergraduate’s ways of life do not conform to the societal values and norms (Johnson and Foster, 1990).

In Nigerian universities, since the university does not provide any uniform or dress codes, the students are permitted a relative amount of freedom in their clothing choices and selections. Orekwe (2000) observed that the female undergraduates dress to sexually attract the male counterparts, to be admired and to seduce people. She also stressed that the females are more desirous of attracting the males with their clothing at the adolescent age.

The university is the seat of all education and the citadel of learning. The undergraduates are expected to be models not only in academic excellence but also in matters relating to social, emotional and moral standards. Their clothing choices and  practices  should  be  such  that  will  encourage  trust,  confidence,  comfort, respect and sense of responsibility. Available report indicates that the reverse is the case. Adelena (2000) lamented that today no average university student who does not go half-naked is considered uncivilized.

For the female undergraduate to be motivated towards choice of appropriate clothing, several considerations which will help them in the choice and wearing of

clothes have to be made. The type of occasion or activity one engages in, garment styles, body building, colour and size are some of the factors consider (Anyakoha and Eluwa, 1991, Vanderhoff, 1988). Some of the occasions or activities that require special clothes include: school, work, sport, religious worship, parties and social gathering among others. In choosing clothes for school especially when school uniform is not used, because of the school activities such as sports, classroom work as well as practical lessons and recreational activities. Clothes chosen should be smart, colourful and pretty; loose and roomy enough to allow for free  circulation  of  blood,  free  movement  and  comfort  during  classroom and practical lessons; of appropriate length and size (Anyakoha and Eluwa, 1991; Johnson and Foster 1990) stressed that very tight and revealed clothes are provocative.

The clothing behaviour of female undergraduates in Benue State Universities  are  however  not  different  from  the  clothing  motivations  and behaviour of female undergraduates in other universities in Nigeria. Gwinn, Swanson and Goetz (1995) explain that clothing motivations and behaviours are influenced by life style and standard of living of various undergraduates. The students in the universities are constantly faced with clothing challenges in the campus. Therefore, there is need for the female undergraduates of Benue State Universities to  imbibe  good and  acceptable  clothing norms.  Any  provocative clothing will expose them to hazards (problems).

Statement of the Problem

The styles and patterns of dressing are largely determined by variables like group dynamics cum peer group relationship, weather, event, ethical dressing code (such as law and medical student) etc. Despite these and other variable certain types of dressing by the ladies in particular tend to have disastrous effect on their male counterparts, lecturers, and the society hence negative motives may be developed generally through cursory looking.

Beside, most of the attitude and behaviour towards dressing, at times by the female students do not conform to moral standard thereby, debasing the human value, norm and standard. As a result, the cherished cultural norms and values are highly abused and relegated to the background, according to Best (2002), this negative trend in dressing is an indication of poor parental upbringing, low level of cultural and religious values and practices.

In Nigerian universities, there are not established school uniforms or dressing codes guiding students clothing on university campuses. Besides, there is presently no basic clothing education for the undergraduates in Nigerian tertiary institution. Students are lift to wear whatever clothing they choose because they are expected to be adults. They are often predisposed to various forms of clothing norms and practices.

This  has  in  some cases  led  to  orientation programmes for  students on clothing norms. From indication many undergraduates especially the girls ignorantly copy and wear indecent reckless and provocative clothing meant for

commercial sex hawkers (Olufunwa in Bimbo. 1997). Studies by Kim and Jone (1990) showed that provocative, erotic or sexual attractive clothing induce sexual harassment and disciplinary problem in schools. There is also significant association between dressing in costumes and drinking of alcohol, smoking marijuana and take of other drugs by college students (Millers, 1993).

Some of the deviant behaviour cases reported in Nigeria Universities such as sexual harassment, rape, ill – health examination malpractices etc have sometimes been attributed to the type of clothing selected, worn by the undergraduates (Adelena, 2002; Bakut, 1997). It therefore becomes questionable whether the female undergraduates of Nigeria universities are actually aware in various ways. This is a problem. It thus becomes necessary to investigate the clothing motivations and behaviour of female undergraduates in Universities in Benue State.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the clothing motivations and behaviour of the female undergraduates in Benue State Universities. Specifically the study was designed to examine:

1.        the motivating factors underlying the selection and wearing of clothing by female undergraduates in universities in Benue State;

2.        the types of clothing items selected/worn by the female undergraduates in universities in Benue State;

3.       guidelines for  wearing clothing items  by  the  female undergraduates in

Benue State universities;

4.        the problems encountered by the female undergraduates in their clothing selected and wearing ; and

5.        the ways of solving problems encountered by undergraduates in clothing themselves.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will be of immense value to the students, Home Economics teachers, Home Economics students, education system in Nigeria as well as parents. The findings of this study will reveal various clothing items and clothing motivations and behavioural practices of the undergraduates. This type of information if made available to students will help to educate them on the choice of clothes.

The  findings  of  this  study  will  reveal  the  clothing  motivations  and behaviour  of  female  undergraduates  and  what  they  actually  communicate  to people by their clothing choices. The observers’ reaction as well as problems encountered will also be revealed. This type of information will be useful to the students, if made available to them, to correct some mistakes in their clothing choices.

This will reveal desirable clothing norms for the undergraduates. This will generate a vital source of information, which will help stimulate the clothing, and textile curriculum planners in developing basic clothing education programme for

undergraduates, through this appropriate clothing choices and decision techniques could be inculcated in the students.

The usual conflicts that occur between parents and their adolescents as a result of wrong clothing choices will drop to the barest minimum when they get well oriented to proper clothing norms as the result of the findings of this study. Based on the findings of the study on students clothing problems, policy makers could also come up with some form of dress codes to guide students’ dressing habits in the university campuses.

This will equally help in minimizing the clothing related problems when the dress code is adhered to. The educational system within the university level and below it stands the chance of gaining from this study as academic problems and other problems associated with students’ poor clothing attitude will be minimized. When the undergraduates practice desirable norms, the female undergraduates will not have the opportunity of seducing both the male students and the lecturers with their mode of dressing. As the result, the male students and the  lecture  will  not  have  the  avenue  of  humiliating or  harassing the  female students sexually.

The findings of this study will act as a resourceful document to be maintained in library for public consumption and research. On the other hand, the research  will  be  relevant  for  seminars  and  workshop  in  tertiary  institutions. Markets will equally derive a lot of benefit from the study, as it will create an avenue for them to maintain and keep variety of stock/clothing for selection. This

will make it easy for the public and students in particular to make appropriate choice of wears for different purposes.

Above all, Clothing and textile students, Home economics students and teachers could see the findings handy in the course of teaching and learning as a source  of  secondary  literature  in  researches  of  related  topics.  The  Home Economics teachers will be in a better position to enlighten both students and non

– students on desirable clothing norms and practices.

Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study:

1.        What are the motivating factors underlying the selection and wearing of clothing by female undergraduates in Benue State Universities?

2.        What are the types of clothing items that are selected and worn by female undergraduates in Benue state Universities?

3.        What   are   the   guidelines   for   wearing   clothing   items   by   female undergraduates in Benue state Universities?

4.        What are the problems encountered by the female undergraduates in their choice of clothing?

5.        What   are   ways   of   solving   the   problems   encountered   by   female undergraduates towards clothing themselves?

Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance:

H01: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of female undergraduate student in federal, state and private universities on the motivating factors underlying the selection and wearing of clothing.

H02: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of female undergraduates students in federal, state and private universities on the guidelines for wearing clothing items

Scope of the Study

The study was delimited to:

1.       Types of clothing worn by female undergraduates.

2.       Guideline for choosing what to wear.

3.       Three universities in Benue State.

The universities in Benue State were selected namely: The Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State Universities, Makurdi and NKST University, Mkar.

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