UNEMPLOYMENT AND LATE MARRIAGE: A STUDY OF POST GRADUATE STUDENTS’ OF UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT

NDUONOFIT, Larry-Love Effiong
Dept. of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences
University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Email: larrylove.nduonofit@gmail.com

NWALA-CADGER, Gold
Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences,
University of Uyo, AkwaIbom State, Nigeria
Email: Chinedu11@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
Marriage as an institution is what most, if not all young men and women hope to gain entrance into once they attain a responsible adult age. Yet, the story is quite different especially for the young men who come of age and are unable to perfect this hope quite on time.The study examined unemployment and late marriage, taking the post graduate students’ of the University of Port Harcourt as a case in point. Operationalising unemployment as poor socio-economic status, the objective of the study is to ascertain whether unemployment is significantly related to the age at first marriage. Theoretically, the work anchors on a micro-sociological paradigm – Rational Choice Theory. The primary instrument for data collection was the questionnaire (N = 126). The study employed a non-parametric statistical tool (Chi square) to test the hypothesis. Findings from the study however reveal a significant relationship between poor socio-economic status of eligible adult males and the age at first marriage. Using the Co-efficient of Contingency technique to determine the strength cum direction of the relationship, the study further shows a weak association between both variables.However, further findings reveal that unemployment is a necessary but insufficient condition affecting late marriage amongst eligible adult males.The findings of this study have also shown that parents/guardians of eligible adult males are rather interested in funding further academic pursuit than funding nuptial inclinations. The study contributes to a micro-level understanding of the determinants of late marriage. By using a micro sociological theory, the study has further enhanced the understanding of the role of decision-making in pre-nuptiality. The study recommends the introduction and institutionalization of employment benefits by the government, and the re-evaluation and reappraisal of the small and medium enterprise policy in the country.
Key Words: socio-economic status, unemployment; marriage; late marriage; eligible age, marriage market.