ROLES OF SEX AND PARENTS’ LEVEL OF EDUCATION ON SELF-ESTEEM

Abstract

This study was on roles of sex and parents’ level of education on self esteem. The total population for the study is 200 residents of Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made married men, married women, youths and students were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies

Chapter one

Introduction

1.1Background of the study

The history of self-esteem as a concept began with known theorists in psychology. William James and Mead (1890) were among the first ones. They postulated that self- esteem was equivalent to success of a person divided by his or her pretensions. One’s self-esteem would be academic success divided by how well one thinks he/she ought to be doing. To increase the sum total of one’s self-esteem, one needs to boost successes or diminish expectations for achievements. This continues to influence the understanding of self-esteem (Wickline, 2003)

The self psychologist, Rogers (1954) was concerned with the general nature of subjective experience of the individual’s acceptance of his/her experience. Bednar and Peterson (1999), believed that each person constructs his/her unique view of reality through the creative self.

Gordon Allport (1961) proposed that the growth of the awareness of self proceeds along development learning lines. He identified 7 different aspects of self- hood. Self- esteem is the third development stage of the proprium. It is the feeling of pride that results when  the child accomplishes things on the child’s success in mastering tasks

In 1979, Rosenberg conducted a study of the adolescent self-esteem and came up with three classifications of the self- esteem: the extant self, the desired self, and presenting self. Rosenberg cautions that no one knows the real self, but each individual creates and interprets images of the self. He differentiated between the self confidence and self-esteem. To him self-esteem is more of affective sense of efficacy. As such, self confidence may contribute to self- esteem but the two are synonymous.

Coopersmith (1967) cited evidence supporting the importance of self-esteem. He concluded that people with feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness see themselves as inferior and unable to generate inner resources to improve their situation. Feeling of inferiority may result if it does not meet personal aspirations. In his antecedents of self,  he suggested four factors that contribute to the development of self- esteem. These are: the values that the child perceives to have towards the self, the child’s experience with success and his individual definitions of success or failure as well as the child’s style of dealing with negative feedback or criticism.

The humanistic movement of 1950 and the self movement postulated by Carl Rogers and others in 1960’s and 1970’s brought in the self enhancement view of academics, seeing students’ self-esteem as the primary cause of academic achievement. Wickline, (2003) Bednar and Peterson (1999) postulated that each person constructs his/her unique view of reality. They further linked low self esteem with drug abuse, anti-social behavior, teenage pregnancies and poor grades.

Self-concept needs to be maintained (Self consistency). Congruence between self and its perception by the individual (consistency between-self-perceptions and experience) is therefore needed. Threat or anxiety is evoked when experience or perception of one’s behaviour is incongruent with self-concept. Individuals that are well adjusted are able to respond to threats adaptively by modifying their self-concept that their experiences may be congruent with the self. Some other people may decide to deny or distort their experiences so as to remove the incongruence. This rather leads to what Rogers (1959) called ‘’problems in living’’.

For Rogers (1959), we can help somebody to develop a more positive self-concept through unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness. Self-esteem is referred to as the evaluation and affective dimension of self-concept. It is as well called self-worth (Santrock, 2000). Santrock (2000) has the view that some researches have found self-esteem to be stable for a period. It can change, especially in response to transitions in life, e.g graduation from high school or going to college. It can also change in response to some life events like getting or loosing a job.

Halgin and Whitbourne (2000) stated how Aaron Bech held a pervasive feature of many psychological disorders is the existence of automatic thoughts, which are ideas so deeply entrenched in oneself that the individual is not even aware that they lead to feelings of unhappiness and discouragement. They gave an example with somebody who thinks of himself as very boring and uninteresting, people can attract negative consequences onto themselves by conceiving themselves as worthless when they are not. In the observation of novelist Madeleine L’ Engle, ‘’the naked intellect is an extra-ordinarily inaccurate instrument’’. Going further, Myers (2002) is of the opinion that through previous experiences, or perception of correlations where none exists, people can build their social beliefs, and also influence others to confirm it. Also, an event that occurred in a person’s life can leave its mark in ways that cause dramatic changes in the person’s feelings or behaviour (Halgin and Whitbourne 2000). For example, a demeaning comment from a person can cause somebody some months or even years of feeling hurt. Many people are defeated by everyday problems in life. They go whining for days with a sense of dull resentment at what they consider the ‘’bad break’’ life has given them (Peale, 1942).

On the other hand, the belief in one’s superiority can motivate one to make achievements, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy, and sustaining a sense of hope in difficult times (Myers, 2002).

In the view of Santrock (2000) Adolescent girls and boys have a low self-esteem from the age of thirteen to eighteen, and the self-esteem of girls is twice as low as those of boys. The adolescents have many problems to face. Adolescents have many identity conflicts and low self-esteem that may their school achievement and development of a healthy identity. The new societal expectations and responsibilities experienced by teenagers elicit internal conflicts that need to be resolved during adolescence. These may manifests in lack of focus, or school discipline problems (Powell, 2004).

Statement of the problem

In Nigeria , academic performance of students varies greatly at the end of their four year programme. This study aimed at finding out how school factors such as school environment, teachers, peers and home factors such as parents and parenting style, parent adolescent relationship  and demographic factors such as age, peer influence gender and statuses affect the student self esteem in relationship to their academic performance

Objective of the study

The objectives of the study are;

1. To ascertain the role of parents on child self esteem
2. To ascertain the effect parent educational background on child self esteem
3. To ascertain the relationship between sex and child self esteem

Research hypotheses

For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher;

H₀:   there is no role of parents on child self esteem

H₁: there is role of parents on child self esteem

H₀²:   there is no parent educational background has on child self esteem

H₂:  there is parent educational background on child self esteem

Significance of the study

The study will be very significant to students, teachers, parents and the general public. The study will give a clear insight roles sex and parent’s level of education on self esteem. The study will also serve as a reference to other researcher that will embark on the related topic

Scope and limitation of the study

The scope of the study covers roles sex and parent’s level of education on self esteem. The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;

1. a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
2. b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Parent education: Parent education programs are designed to help parents understand their children’s individual needs and development, as well as their own roles and responsibilities, by offering tools and strategies aimed at maximizing positive outcomes for children and families.

Self-esteem: Self-esteem is an individual’s subjective evaluation of their own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, “I am unloved”, “I am worthy”) as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame.

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