Marriage, as understood from the Christian, Nigerian Baptist Convention's, perspective, is a mutual relationship endorsed by holy matrimony between a consenting man and a woman. Similarly, within the Nigerian socio-cultural setting, particularly among the Yoruba, marriage is recognized and endorsed as sacred and accorded great priority. To the Yoruba, it signifies a crucial rite of passage, a transition to adulthood and immense responsibilities within the community. However, despite the sanctity and lofty views of marriage, a number of Diaspora Yoruba Christian couples living in the North West of England (NWE) are increasingly experiencing serious marital instability and conflict. This thesis, therefore, critically examines Yoruba couples' understanding of marriage and how their various contacts with social realities in the NWE impact upon spousal relations. Particular attention is paid to cross-cultural factors, power structures among the Yoruba and social structures that promote Yoruba women's empowerment in the NWE. The study employs semi-structured qualitative interviews. It notes that: (1) Yoruba couples, having been married in a traditional way and setting are intensely confronted with social realities in the NWE which often calls for a renegotiation of marital relations. (2) Issues of spousal power relations, male dominance and hierarchy, financial/resources management, identity crisis/social status and gender-role reversal are crucial factors that currently affect the level of marriage satisfaction among Yoruba Christian couples. However, in spite of the academic underpinnings of this work, the use of devotional language is justified given the religious commitment and background of the research population. Against this backdrop, therefore, the relevance of the proposed marriage enhancement initiative, Prayer Intervention Programmes (PIP), as a viable approach for marital harmony, is significant.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:722003 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Oyewale, Philip Bukola |
| Contributors | McGrail, P. ; Jeyaraj, D. |
| Publisher | University of Liverpool |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3007850/ |
Page generated in 0.0019 seconds