NAME: MATT: DEPT: COURSE: LEVEL:

ODOGBORO. E. ROSE 138110 ECONOMICS DEU 41 400.

ASSIGNMENT

CHOOSE ANY OF THE COUNTRY OF YOUR CHOICE AND

DISSCUSS HOW THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL ECONOMY,

LANGUAGE AND RELIGIOUS FACTOR INFLUENCE THE

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN NIGERIA

Political economy

Explaining Political/Economic Systems (History 101) To start this brief overview, I will define what many of those political/economic terms mean, so we can intelligently analyze the benefits or failings of each type of system.

Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market.

Communism is an economic system characterized by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members. Under communism by its very nature, because of authoritarian government control, socialism automatically becomes a byproduct of this system.

Socialism is any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods can be privately or collectively owned or dictated by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy. Although socialism does not always co-exist with only communist or fascist governments, the implementation of socialism in many countries requires that a strong central government generally impose this philosophy on the people.

Fascism differs from communism in that ownership of the means of production is left in the hands of private industry but all industry and business activity is heavily regulated by a strong national government. Therefore, socialistic objectives are achieved by the police power of the state. Fascist Germany and Italy both operated in this manner. Fascism can also be defined as a government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, and suppression of any opposition through terror and censorship. Fascist governments are generally characterized by belligerent nationalism.

Dictatorship is a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition from the people). Saddam Hussein is a prime example of a dictatorship wherein he controlled every aspect of Iraqi life without the people having any say in the running of the country. Any criticism, no matter how insignificant, was dealt with by torture and/or death.

Democracy is the government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives.

Republic is slightly different from a democracy and is a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governed according to law. Anarchy is the absence of government; the state of society where there is no law or supreme power; a state of lawlessness; political confusion.Personally, I favor anarchy over all of the other forms of government, because it provides the greatest freedom to mankind. However, after over one-half century on this planet, I fully recognize that this philosophy will not work, as our civilization would be destroyed by chaos. My recognition of the failings of anarchy are unlike the people who create nonsensical theories like communism which sound great on the surface but

completely unravel when practical considerations are introduced into the equation. LANGUAGE AND EDUCATION The aim of learning French language in Nigeria is not just only to contribute to the education of the individual bygiving him access to the culture of a group of people he doesnt have daily contact with Wilkins (1973:154), but toincrease the ease of contact and communication with French language speakers inside and outside the countrythrough phone calls, internet, post, reports invoices, orders, memoranda etc as contained in the definition of communication by Kure (2001:216).The acquisition of and the ability to us language is one of the most impressive process of learning that an individualachieves during the course of his life time Madueke (2007:2). How essential would this be if this language will beFrench language in this our present circumstances in Nigeria where we dont understand our neighbours. JSTOR is part of ITHAKA, a not-for-profit organization helping the academic community use digital technologies to preserve the scholarly record and to advance research and teaching in sustainable ways. 2000-2011 ITHAKA. All Rights Reserved. JSTOR, the JSTOR logo, and ITHAKA are registered trademarks of ITHAKA. THE RELIGIOUS FACTORS The Kingdom of Tonga is unusual not only in its high level of literacy but also in the fact that the literacy is in large measure in the vernacular language. Written Tongan is used for religious, governmental, informational, commercial, and personal functions: written English for external relations, higher level administration, and education. While the educational system is encouraging the learning of English, it is maintaining emphasis on the Tongan language. Religious, political and educational factors The Kingdom of Tonga is unusual not only in its high level of literacy but also in the fact that the literacy is in large measure in the vernacular language. Written Tongan is used for religious, governmental, informational, commercial, and personal functions: written English for external relations, higher level administration, and education. While the educational system is encouraging the learning of English, it is maintaining emphasis on the Tongan language.

Socio economic factors One hundred and ninety-two adolescents (aged 12-18 years) with septic illicit abortions were interviewed to assess socio-cultural factors associated with illegally induced septic abortions at Ilorin, Nigeria. They were mostly unmarried schoolgirls who were ignorant of contraception. Inadequate parental supervision contributed largely to unplanned pregnancies, while poor economic state of these patients influenced the occurrence of illegal septic abortions. Wide-spread availability of an acceptable family-life education, with improved socio-economic state of the adolescents would most probably reduce the socio-cultural factors favouring illicit septic induced abortions in this community. In 1987-1989, researchers interviewed 192 adolescents admitted to University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) in Nigeria for septic illegal abortions to determine the sociocultural factors of septic illegal abortions among adolescents and the effects of these abortions on the population. The 2 major complications resulting in the patients being admitted to UITH were hemorrhage (42.2%) and septicemia (30.7%). The abortion rate at UITH stood at 94.6/1000 deliveries representing an increase. Adolescents made up 74.4% of all induced abortions which accounted for 60.3% of all gynecological admissions. Most patients (72.5%) were between 15-19 years old. Just 12.5% lived with both parents--an example of the break down of the family which traditionally prepared children for integration into adult society. 81.3% had a primary education, but only around 30% of parents had a primary education. School officials expelled 50% of the patients thereby making expulsion from school the leading social consequence of adolescent septic illegal abortion. Indeed neither the education system nor the family were prepared to teach family life education to prevent these unwanted pregnancies. In Nigeria, since abortion is considered immoral, the adolescents had little choice but to seek a clandestine abortion. Moreover, many adolescents were poor so they opted for free abortion services which were often provided by charlatans. A shift from a rural society to an urban society also contributed to an increase in abortions. The government must emphasize maternal and child health services, especially liberalization of abortion. Further, it must make family planning education and services

available to adolescents. In addition, the mass media should be exploited to spread information about the adverse consequences of adolescent illegal abortions.
THE POLITICAL BENEFIT Realization of the potential benefits of alley farming will depend on the speed and completeness of the adoption and diffusion of the system among potential users. Diffusion and adoption refer to two distinct processes. The diffusion of an innovation means the total process by which an innovation spreads out among farmers until a large number of them have adopted it. Adoption concerns the behavior of individuals in relation to the use of technology, more particularly their reasons for taking up use of the technology at a point in time. Understanding and improving the prospects for diffusion and adoption of alley farming depend upon effective socio-economic assessment. This unit describes the way in which the social sciences contribute to the testing and development of alley farming. It presents the farming system as an appropriate framework for socio-economic assessment of alley farming. Finally, it discusses the major socio-economic issues affecting the diffusion and adoption of the technology. The reader will find additional information on research tools for socio-economic assessment in Volume 2.

Contributions of social science to alley farming

The international research literature contains many examples of effective contributions made by social science in technology development. The presence of social science methods and perspectives as part of an interdisciplinary strategy can be especially productive in the case of alley farming research.

Areas of Effectiveness
The particular areas in which social science can be effective are: 1. Involvement of farmers, households, and communities as effective participants in the design, evaluation, and extension of alley farming systems. 2. Definition of recommendation domains based on (a) household considerations such as need assessment, gender and age responsibilities, household/community relationships, and (b) socio-economic factors such as market prices of inputs, labor supply and demand, and regional development priorities. 3. Integrated analysis of biophysical and socio-economic indicators with respect to (a) the existing production systems and (b) the proposed alley farming systems;

4. Identification and analysis of social constraints to wide-scale adoption of alley farming; 5. Design of appropriate strategies for community organization and mobilization of resources to promote the technology. 6. Determination of the socio-economic impacts of technology innovations, and analysis of their implications for further research. This list shows that socio-economic assessment can play a role in every stage of an alley farming research project. Researchers should avoid the traditional practice, in which socio-economic assessment occurs only in the first and the final stages of technology development (Figure 6-1). Ideally, socio-economic assessment will be carried out as part of an multidisciplinary research effort. There could be three to five members on the research team, including at least one social scientist. Their first joint assignment would be to conduct a survey at the village level. This exercise teaches the team to work together and to understand farmers' perspectives.

The role of socio-economic evaluation in R & D projects:

(a) In the traditional approach, socio-economic assessment occurs only during the preparatory survey and the concluding technology impact study. (b) In the preferred approach, socio-economic considerations are actively taken into account throughout the research process. In small projects, fielding such a team may not be feasible. However, even a single scientist who keeps socio-economic as well as big-physical concerns in mind can constitute a one-man or one-woman multi-disciplinary "team." Socio-economic assessment does not have to be highly technical. A range of information gathering tools with varying degrees of complexity are available to suit the needs and resources of researchers (Table 6-1).

REFRENCE

Illegal induced abortion: a study of 74 cases in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. [Trop Doct. 1992] Illegal induced abortion: a study of 74 cases in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Okonofua FE, Onwudiegwu U, Odunsi OA. Trop Doct. 1992 Apr; 22(2):75-8.

Procured abortion in Ilorin, Nigeria. [East Afr Med J. 1995] Procured abortion in Ilorin, Nigeria. Anate M, Awoyemi O, Oyawoye O, Petu O. East Afr Med J. 1995 Jun; 72(6):386-90.

Induced abortion in Kenya: its determinants and associated factors. [East Afr Med J. 1996] Induced abortion in Kenya: its determinants and associated factors. Lema VM, Rogo KO, Kamau RK. East Afr Med J. 1996 Mar; 73(3):164-8.

Review Contraception in The Netherlands: the low abortion rate explained. [Patient Educ Couns. 1994] Contraception in The Netherlands: the low abortion rate explained. Ketting E, Visser AP. Patient Educ Couns. 1994 Jul; 23(3):161-71.

Review Pregnancy termination and the law in Nigeria. [Stud Fam Plann. 1990] Pregnancy termination and the law in Nigeria. Okagbue I. Stud Fam Plann. 1990 Jul-Aug; 21(4):197-208.

Maps, statistical Provide background data on

May be inaccurate or too "macro"

publications Informal survey Direct observation Formal survey On-farm experiment

agricultural sector Provides rapid overview of land use and farming practices Helps avoid problems of farmer recall and interpretation of verbal responses Quantification and large sample size Allows technologies to be tested under farmer conditions

Allows little quantification and outsiders may consider data "soft" Logistical (transport) problems and small sample size Costly, time-consuming and computer-intensive Very costly, small sample size, requires at least one full crop season, logistical problems

Simple methods can be quite useful, such as including local farmers in discussions of alley farming's potential, or inviting them to a research station to comment on MPT and management trials. Making a labor calendar of farming activities throughout the year is an example of a relatively straightforward but effective analytical method.

6.2.2 Socio-economic Investigation in AFNETA Research

The AFNETA/NARS collaborative research program provides an example of the role of socio-economic investigation in alley farming research. Each new AFNETA/NARS project beings with a socio-economic survey. The aim is to begin serious investigation of the critical socio-economic determinants which will ultimately bear on the adoption of alley farming in the project's mandate area. The research teams are expected to acquire a thorough and detailed understanding of traditional systems as practiced by farmers at the various sites, to identify the farmers' conceptions of local constraints and opportunities. The exercise should result in an assessment of potential entry points for agroforestry technologies generally, and alley farming in particular. Additional objectives are to ensure that the research team is farmeroriented from the start, and to instill in each team the spirit of inter-disciplinarily. AFNETA favors use of tools of assessment that are simple and quick, can be used in an interdisciplinary manner, and can produce results within a short period of time, with minimum resources. General tools include the following: literature reviews; interviews; shoe, highly focused questionnaires; and direct observation. Special tools include seasonal calendars (e.g., of rainfall, labor use, prices), historical calendars of past and future land use, and sketch maps or transects to show land use patterns. The AFNETA strategy recognizes that socio-economic assessment does not begin and end with a single survey. Investigation of the socio-economic determinants is expected to continue though out the life of a project. Its importance grows as the research moves onfarm for monitoring and evaluation of alley farming technologies. Details of AFNETA's current requirements and recommendations for socio-economic investigation are published in separate network documents.

6.8 References
Horton, D. 1990. Tips for planning formal farm surveys in developing countries: IITA Research Guide 31. Ibadan, Nigeria. Fortmann, L. 1985. Tree tenure. An analytical framework for agroforestry projects. Paper prepared for conference on land tenure and agroforestry, Nairobi, Kenya, May 1985. IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) 1983. IITA Annual Report, Ibadan, Nigeria.