ABSTRACT
The major purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of apparel consumption and disposal patterns of families on the environment in Enugu State. Eight research questions were answered and two hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The population for the study consisted 1,633,096 women in three senatorial zones of Enugu State. Taro Yamane formular was used to determine the sample size of 400 women for the study. Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. Structured questionnaire was used to generate data for the study. This instrument was face validated by three experts from Department of Vocational Teacher Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The questionnaire was pilot tested with a sample of 20
Women drawn from Anambra State. Cronbach Alpha reliability test
was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument and this yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.76. Data were analysed using mean statistics for research questions and t-test was used to test the null hypotheses. There are relationships that exists between the environment of Enugu state and the families apparel consumption and disposal patterns. The findings of the study include different methods of apparel consumption like buying ready to wear apparel or fairly used apparel, using apparel to cover nakedness or for different occasions. The study also found out the apparel disposal methods adopted by Enugu State families as burning, handing down to younger ones. The study also revealed the effect of apparel consumption and disposal patterns of Enugu State families on the environment as air pollution and prevention of normal growth and production of agricultural products. Based on the findings the study recommends that textile education and environmental education be introduced at all levels of education including adult literacy education centres, and vocational training centres. Also curriculum planners, educational administrators should organize seminars, workshops, conferences and training programmes for both urban and rural families concerned.
CHAPTER ONE INTROUDCTION
Background of the Study
Family is the basic unit of every society. It is the basic social institution from which other institutions have emerged. According to Wikijissa, Eule, Datol, Padung, Amagon, Ntubun, Langkuk and Ahupa (2001) family is a kingship grouping which provides for the rearing of children and also for some other human needs. Anyakoha (2007) also stated that family is a group of persons living together and are united by ties of marriage, blood or adoption. There are, in existence, different types of family. Firstly is the nuclear or monogamous family which is made up of the father, the mother and their children. Another is the polygamous family comprising of the husband, his wife or wives, and their children. Lastly is the extended family that consists the man, his wife or wives, their children and other relations. These families are found dwelling in either rural or urban environments.
Morales, Lindab, Copeland and Sam (2003) in their work explained urban environments as those cities or towns with high population density of people coming from different tribes and origins. Urban environments are places characterized with many
job opportunities, high level of economic activities and the existence of social and infrastructural facilities. On the other hand, Morales et al (2003) also explained that rural environment is a place with low population density of people of the same tribe and origin. A place that is characterized with low income earning jobs like farming and petty trading. There is also remarkable absence of social and infrastructural amenities in rural environments. Judging from the above, therefore, families dwelling in places with the characteristics of urban areas are referred to as urban families, while those dwelling in areas with rural features are referred to as rural families.
Irrespective of family habitations, whether urban or rural dwelling, certain family provisions are inevitable to meet the desired human needs as pointed out by Wikijissa et al (2001). These provisions made by the families among other things cover their basic needs which include clothing. An aspect of the clothing provided in the families include, the apparel.
Apparel as body covering specifically refers to actual garments constructed from fabrics (Kaiser, 1997). These fabrics are of fibre origin. According to Anyakoha (2007) fabric is a cloth constructed with yarn or directly from fibre by various construction
methods. Such methods are weaving, writing, crocheting, felting and others. These fabrics are further converted to apparel in the forms of gowns, skirts, blouses, shirts and trousers. These forms or states of apparel are the level at which apparel is used or consumed in every family by the family members. Certain factors, however, motivate many families into apparel consumption. Such factors include consumers’ taste, occupation, level of family income and expenditure, prices and mode of payment, time and place of purchase, quality and durability of the apparel, fashion trend and other personal factors.
Apparel consumption, is the act of buying and using of apparel. It involves all the processes apparel undergoes from the time of purchase till the time it leaves the consumers’ possession. It, therefore, passes various stages. According to Winakor (1995), the stages of apparel consumption are acquisition, usage, maintenance and storage. Acquisition which is the first stage of apparel consumption involves ways of getting apparel. These different methods or ways of getting apparel are through inheritance from senior siblings, friends or other relations; recycling; exchanging; donations from charity shops; buying ready
to wear apparels; and through buying fairly used or second hand apparel.
Another important aspect of apparel consumption process is usage. Apparel can be used in different ways depending on the consumers’ reasons for acquiring it. According to Anyakoha (2007), uses of appeared include body protection from weather conditions and hazardous environment, self beautification as to improve ones appearance and look attractive, to cover nakedness and appear modestly decent. Other uses of apparel as stated by Anyakoha (2007) are to show roles and duties in the society as in polices, army and nursing; to show mood such as black or white apparel for mourning; to show status or position occupied in the society like the Obas, Emirs and also to exhibit cultural affiliation.
Apparel in use needs proper maintenance to extend its lifespan so, apparel in use needs maintenance which is another vital aspect of apparel consumption. When apparel is given good care and maintenance, it retains its quality and durability. Apparel maintenance, therefore, is the ability of the consumer to take adequate care of the apparel as to last long before being disposed. Olua and Igbo (2008) stated two types of care given to apparel which include preventive care and curative care. Preventive care
are those things one does to avoid dirt or stain on the apparel such as covering apparel with napkins while cooking or eating and to remove stains as quickly as possible. Curative care on the other hand involves proper laundering and drying.
The next stage in apparel consumption is the storage. This involves cleaning and keeping them safe inside the closet, garment bags, boxes or drawers. Apparel that are stored for sometime are occasionally brought out to air in order to prevent mildew attack. The boxes, bags or drawer used in storing apparel should be sealed with tape after adding moth repellents to keep away moths, silver birds and cockroaches. In many rural families, apparel can also be stored by folding and keeping them on the bed or under the mattress. It can also be placed on the doors or hanged on nails or on ropes.
It is pertinent, however, to note that apparel consumption not only has positive effects as was discussed under the process of usage. It also has some negative effects especially on man and his environment. Such effects are in the areas of diseases and pollution. Spreading of skin diseases like rashes, irritation, eczema and other skin infections is imminent as families acquire and use second hand apparel not treated before acquisition or use. Another
of such effect of apparel, consumption on the environment is in water pollutions. This is notable in rural environments where there is no pipe borne water, but with spring water, steams and rivers. Laundering which is an aspect of maintenance processes of apparel consumption is done on these water sources, thereby causing water pollution. Moreso, scarcity of water among urban dwellers can cause many families not to wash their used apparel. Used apparel when not washed or aired can cause foul odour which moderately pollutes the air.
Many apparel consumed among rural and urban families undergo various wear and tear in the course of usage. Most of the apparel also go out of fashion, out of taste and other related exhaustion which make families to do away with or dispose them through one form or the other.
Apparel disposal is the removal of unwanted apparel from the inventory by the consumer. According to Soyeon (1995), apparel is being disposed when it leaves the possession of the consumer in a good manner of handling down. Throwing away, selling, exchanging, using as rags, making over and simply abandoning. Oakdene (2006) also enumerated the following as methods of apparel disposal. They are private sales, donation to charity shops,
recycling, landfill, burning and dropping at disposal site. Other methods of apparel disposal as stated by Birthwistle and Moore (2007) includes handing over to other family members, relations or the homeless, while the unwearable ones should be disposed alongside other household refuse.
Apparel disposal, whether short or long term duration will eventually influence the environment, irrespective of the disposal method used. Such disposal methods like burning, throwing away, abandoning, dropping in disposal sites and landfilling. This will have instant effect on the environment which may result to general environmental pollution such as air, water and soil pollutions. These physical pollutions may directly or indirectly affect agricultural life as well as human health. Njorog (2004), noted that these different types of pollution lead to health hazards like respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease, throat inflation, loss of hearing, high blood pressure, skin irritation and rashes; stress and sleep disturbance.
Environment in itself is referred to as everything that surrounds man and his activities. It can also be regarded as the conditions, circumstance and influences under which an organism or system exists. According to Osinem (2005) an environment is a
complex of physical, chemical and biotic factors that act upon an organism or ecological community and ultimately determines its form and survival. It is the humanitys’ physical surrounding on which people depend for their activities such as producing, consuming, leisure, breathing and traveling. Osinem (2005) further stated that mans environment will include country or region or town or house or room in which he lives. Hence, an environment can either be urban or rural environment where man dwells in units or groups of identification called families.
Families, whether rural or urban families consume apparel and consequently dispose off their used apparel. Expo facto, it will be invaluable to create awareness on how best to acquire, use, maintain and store apparel among families in Enugu State, as well as how best to dispose their used and exhausted apparel so as not to have negative impact on their surroundings in particular and the environment in general. When this is done, it will go a long way to promote the health, sanity and hygienic levels of families in Enugu state and also increase sustainable consumption as it reduces environmental degradation. A sustainable consumption as noted by Jackson (2004) is that consumption that supports the ability of current and future generations to meet their material and other
needs without causing irreversible damage to the environment or loss of function in the natural system.
Therefore, this study in support of sustainable consumption would to find out the patterns of apparel consumption and disposal by families in Enugu state. The effect of these patterns on the environment and finally the possible measures that could be taken to improve on the existing patterns to help promote healthy living of the consumers and protect the environment.
Statement of the Problem
Families in Enugu State consume and dispose off their used apparel. These families still lack the adequate knowledge of apparel consumption patterns as to make their apparel last for so long. Most of the apparel in their possession easily and quickly get degenerated as a result of inadequate acquisition, maintenance and storage. Because of low income level of greater percentage of the families, they mainly depend on second hand apparel of which the greater part of the durable life had been exhausted. Many families hardly launder their used apparel on time thereby allowing them to accumulate dirt which reduce the apparels’ lifespan. Even apparel storage is majorly done by line hanging them, hanging them on
doors and nails and piling or packing them on beds which may involve both clean and dirty apparel together.
Moreso, the old and exhausted apparel are eventually disposed in the environment which pollute the environment in many ways. These unwanted apparel are seen littering the streets here and there in both urban and rural environments with its accompanying eyesore. Moreover, they also block many drainage outlets like gutters, thereby diverting water unto the roads, residential places and farmland. This can cause soil erosion and also put the drain out of function. Some of the times, families in the course of disposing their used apparel, burn them just near their residents. This burning produces offensive odour and smoke that pollute the air, making it detrimental to human health when inhaled and may even result to so many sicknesses of man. Even the ashes left are washed into nearby streams or rivers to cause water pollution which may still be unpleasant to the environment.
Based on the foregoing, it becomes pertinent for this research to find out the best ways families in Enugu state will manage their apparel consumption patterns as to make effective and durable utilization of these apparel. In the same vein, this work found out and suggested alternative measures families in Enugu state will adopt in
disposing their consumed apparel as not to have negative influence on their environment which will go a long way to promote sanity in the environment and reduce health hazards among families. Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study was to determine the influence of apparel consumption and disposal patterns of families on the environment in Enugu State. Specifically, the study determined:
1. ways families in Enugu State acquire their apparel
2. ways families utilize apparel in Enugu State.
3. apparel maintenance practices of families in Enugu State
4. apparel storage methods of families in Enugu State
5. apparel disposal patterns in use by families in Enugu State
6. relationship between apparel disposal patterns of families in
Enugu state and the environment
7. measures that could be used to improve the apparel consumption patterns of families in Enugu State
8. measures that will help to improve the apparel disposal patterns of families in Enugu State.
Significance of the Study
The findings of this study will be of immense value to home makers, family members, apparel retailers, home economists in extension, the environmental protection agency and all apparel consumers in general.
Home makers are responsible for providing family members apparel, considering their different apparel needs which can be affected by age, health, size, activities, location and family income. The findings of this study would, therefore, acquaint them with different methods which could be used to acquire, use, maintain, store and finally dispose the unwanted ones properly without causing any harm to humanity and any damage to the environment.
Families comprise of family members with different apparel needs. These needs could only be met through good knowledge and effective practice of improved apparel consumption and disposal methods. The findings of this study will educate the family members on better apparel consumption and disposal methods which when adopted, will help them meet their apparel needs with little or no environmental depletion.
Apparel retailers, which are ready to wear apparel dealers and second hand apparel sellers, sell apparel directly to individuals or consumers. Both retailing groups can benefit from the findings of this study by acquiring information and knowledge on how best to dispose the outdated apparel in their custody on one hand and non-usable apparels that cannot be sold again on the other hand.
The cardinal philosophy of extension is that it is educational. Home Economist in extension aims at disseminating information on improved techniques in both Agriculture and Home Economics to predominantly rural families and encourage them to apply same. This consequently improves their yields, farm income, standards and levels of living. Home economists in extension, from the findings of this study, will educate the families to support and practice sustainable apparel consumption and the suggested disposal methods.
The Environmental Protection Agencies whether governmental or non-governmental are responsible for environmental protection, its laws and regulations. The agencies will also benefit from this study as some environmental information will be disclosed and when implemented will help to upgrade the sanity of the environment.
Finally, all apparel consumers at different levels and forms will benefit from this study. The findings will provide vital information on proper apparel consumption and disposal methods that will have positive rather than negative influence on man and his environment.
Research Questions
The study proffered solutions to the following questions.
1. In what ways do families in Enugu State acquire their apparel?
2. In what ways do families in Enugu state utilize their apparel?
3. What are the practices of families on apparel maintenance in
Enugu State?
4. What are the available apparel storage patterns of families in
Enugu State?
5. What are the apparel disposal patterns obtainable among families in Enugu State?
6. What relationship exists between apparel disposal patterns of families in Enugu state and their environment?
7. What are the measures that could be utilized to improve the apparel consumption patterns in Enugu State?
8. What are the measures to be taken in improving apparel disposal patterns of families in Enugu State?
Hypotheses
The study tested the following null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance
Ho1: There is no significant difference in the mean response of urban and rural families in their apparel consumption patterns.
Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean response of urban and rural families in their apparel disposal patterns.
Scope of the Study
The study was delimited to apparel consumption and disposal patterns of families in Enugu State. The study focused on the apparel consumption patterns which include acquiring, using, maintenance and storage; and also the means of disposing apparel when no longer in use. Every family member makes use of apparel but the study concentrated on the females as the respondents to the study.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
INFLUENCE OF APPAREL CONSUMPTION AND DISPOSAL PATTERNS OF FAMILIES ON THE ENVIRONMENT IN ENUGU STATE
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