GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

ABSTRACT

The study sought to assess marriage as a determinant of family finances for effective development of children in extended families. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The study area was Ukaki. ZaramaEpie and igbogene in yenegoa Local Government council of Bayelsa State. Edoha, Okporowo, and Oshika in Ahoada East and Okarki, Odawu and Isua in Ahoada West Local Government Councils of Rivers State. The population of the study includes all parents in an extended family in Ahoada West, Local Government Area. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 60 parents who constituted the sample size for the study. The Instrument used in this study for data collection was a questionnaire titled “Marriage and Development of Children in Extended Family Questionnaire (MDCEFQ)”. The validity of the instrument was obtained after it was scrutinized and edited by the researcher’s supervisor and other experts for validation. The reliability of the instrument was obtained through a pilot test method to test the internal consistency of the items in the instrument to ensure the objectivity of the study within 2 weeks using fifteen respondents. The calculated reliability was 0.68. A four-point Likert rating which was used for scoring had a mid-point of 2.50. The study concluded that in a situation where the newly wedded wife is not working, the in-law's belief that the wife is only coming to finish their son’s money which brings about misunderstanding in the family. The study also recommended that parents must manage their family finance very well.

KEYWORDS: Marriage, Family finances, Effective development, Children, Extended family, Bayelsa and Rivers States