ABSTRACT

The study examines the effect of war film on the attitude of children in Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study are to examine the effect of war films on children, to examine the characteristics of war films, to examine the role of parents in controlling their children from watching war films and to examine the advantages and disadvantages of war films. The research design used descriptive and survey method of data collection. The population of the study was made of Students and teachers of Port Harcourt Primary School, Harcourt metropolis, Rivers State which was 130. The sample size for this study is 80. The questionnaire was designed in a way that respondents could easily provide adequate answers for the study. The Chi-square statistical techniques was used to analyze the data. Finding revealed that war film have effect on children’s attitude in Nigeria. Base on the findings of the study, summary, conclusion and recommendations are made that   the producers’ of video films should know that they owe the larger society a duty to promote the greater good of  the  society,  and  should realize that the ennobling virtues which the society covets should find expression  in their video productions, Parents should however pay attention  to  the kinds of movies their wards are exposed to in order to prevent them from ending up in jail at the long run and the Media need  to  be  really  careful  when packaging a message, since it affects those that are exposed to it.                                    

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Film was introduced into Nigeria in the 1900’s by the British colonialists who used it for propaganda purposes, while the church used it to spread the Gospel. The Colonial Administration and the Church saw film not only as a medium of entertainment but as an effective medium of communication (Akpabio, 2003).    The British colonialist with the Christian missionaries used film amongst other media to persuade Nigerians to accept Christianity, education and the western culture.

The first motion picture   was   shown   in   Nigeria on Monday, August 12, 1903, at   the   Glover Memorial   hall   in   Lagos   by   Mr.   Balboa of Barcelona, Spain, under the management of a Nigerian Herbert Macaulay, who later closed his exhibition in Lagos and left to continue showing films in other West African countries. After his departure, an enterprising European merchant, Stanley Jones, began to show films in the same Glover Memorial Hall, and  he  showed  his  first films in November 1903, (Mgbejume, 1989), gradually   it  grew  and  became   popular   in  the 1960’s.   The Nigeria Home Movie industry thus, began from there.

Television broadcasting in Nigeria began in 1960’s and received government support in its early years, but by the mid-1980’s, every State had its own broadcasting station. Laws were made by the broadcast    governing    bodies   to   limit foreign program contents, however, the National Commission recommends a 60-40 local foreign programme ratio for all broadcast stations, and so producers in Lagos began televising local popular theater productions. Many of these were later circulated on video and as a result, a small scale informal  video  movie  trade  developed.  Nigerian film   is   thus   a   video   movie   industry   which Nigerians   call ‘home   video’ while American films are called ‘Foreign movies (Hollywood movies)’.   Nigeria home videos has exploded into a booming industry that has pushed foreign movies off the shelves in most African countries, and is now marketed in many parts of the world, but especially on the African continent.

Nollywood films were initially produced with traditional analog video, such as Beta cam SP, but today in Nigeria, movies are produced using digital video technology which effected lives in different ways.

However, films in general have effect on children’s attitude but War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about naval, air, or land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle scenes means that war films often end with them. Themes explored include combat, survival and escape, sacrifice, the futility and inhumanity of battle, the effects of war on society, and the moral and human issues raised by war. War films are often categorized by their milieu, such as the Korean War; the most popular subject is the Second World War. The stories told may be fiction, historical drama, or biographical.

Folarin, (1999) theorizes that films has negative effects on children’s attitude. He calls that “the main world syndrome” according to him, people exposed to so much violence have a perception that the world is a far more dangerous place than it really is.

Therefore, the study evaluates   the effect of war films on Children’s attitude.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

War films have been accused of been portrayal of violence in children, and its adverse effect on the attitude of Nigerian children and the society at large are devastating (Folarin, 1999).    Hornby, (2000) contends that some violent materials in movies include: Sex scenes, nudity, obscenity, vulgar language courses, indecent dresses, killings, murder, rape beating up women, shooting, smoking, molestation   and   harassment. These are self-injurious in nature, and likely to affect the children etc.

It is obvious that war film to a very large extent affect children’s attitude in Nigeria. A worrisome aspect of these films is that none of the film-makers actively canvasses for the discouragement of the negative tendencies acted out on the screen. And the failure by movie producers to make any strong comment against social ills is a short coming of the films that use violence in their messages. The implication is that such films rather than ameliorant violent acts in the society tend to aggravate them, Folarin, (1999).

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of the study is to examine the effect of war film on Children attitude. The specific objectives are as follows:

1. To examine the effect of war films on children.
2. To examine the characteristics of war films.

iii.    To examine the role of parents in controlling their children from watching war films.

1. To examine the advantages and disadvantages of war films.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the effects of war films on children?
2. What are the characteristics of war films?

iii.    To an extent does a parent control their children from watching war films?

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of war films?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

HO: There is a negative effect of war film on children’s attitude in Nigeria.

HI: There is positive effect of war film on children’s attitude in Nigeria.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study will be found useful to the teachers, parents, educational psychologist, school administrators, policy-makers and students.

The findings of  this  study  will  be  theoretically  significant  as  the  data provided will hopefully help the educational psychologists in refining all the theories with regards to the effect of war film on children’s attitude.

The teachers / lecturers will benefit from this study as they become aware of the effect of war film on children’s attitude of their children, considering their developmental stages. It will help them make use of appropriate technique in teaching the children.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study examines the effect of war film on children’s attitude in Nigeria. Studying Nigeria is too cumbersome so the researchers limit the scope of the study Port Harcourt metropolis.

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

In carrying out an investigation of this nature the researcher must of necessity be faced the following constraint.

Time: The time frame provide for this study was too short.

Financial constraints: Usually, a study of this nature involved some level of expenditure therefore; finance was also a limiting factor.

Poor response: The poor response from the respondent and inability to access the entire population also was another constrain to the study.

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Effect: A change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.

War:        A state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country.

Film:       A thin flexible strip of plastic or other material coated with light-sensitive emulsion for exposure in a camera, used to produce photographs or motion pictures.

War Film:       It is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about naval, air, or land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle scenes means that war films often end with them.

Child:      A person between birth and full growth; a boy or girl

Attitude:  A settled way of thinking or feeling about something.