COUPLEDOM AND COHABITATION AMONG UNMARRIED UNDERGRADUATES IN A NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The study adopted a descriptive design of survey type. The population for the study consisted of all undergraduate students in the faculty of Education in the selected university. The target population consisted of the 400-level undergraduates students in the selected Departments. A sample of 280 undergraduates were deliberately selected using non-probability sampling technique across four Departments in faculty of Education, University of Ilorin. A self constructed questionnaire was used for data collection. The reliability of the instrument was carried out using the Cronbach alpha with 0.80 reliability value. Percentage, mean, ANOVA, and t-test statistics were employed for the analysis of the information obtained from the respondents at a 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed among others that unmarried undergraduates sees coupledom and cohabitation as a common thing to be practiced which was described as deviation and disregard to social and cultural order in this study. The consequences that were rated high among unmarried undergraduates were the compromise on religious and ethical beliefs of the unmarried couple. A significant difference exists in the perceived reasons for and consequences of coupledom and cohabitation among undergraduates based on Departments. .However, no significant difference existed in the perceived reasons for and consequences of coupledom and cohabitation among unmarried undergraduates based on age and gender. The study attributed the outcome of this study to parents and religious institutions indifference to child upbringing. It was recommended that parents, and religious institutions through their clerics should rise up to their duty in guiding the youth on the ideals of marriage..