Sapientia Foundation Journal of Education, Sciences and Gender Studies (SFJESGS), Vol.2 No.2 June 2020; pg.

g. 183 – 192
ISSN: 2734-2522 (Print); ISSN: 2734-2514 (Online)

SOCIO ECONOMIC FACTORS INFLUENCING CLOTHING BEHAVIOUR OF FEMALE

UNDERGRADUATES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS: NIGERIAN SOUTHWEST
INSTITUTIONS EXPERIENCE

OTUNAIYA AYODELE OLUSEYI, PhD

Department of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Vocational Education
Federal College of Education, Abeokuta.

&

SAMUEL RUTH OPEOLUWA

Department of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Vocational Education
Federal College of Education, Abeokuta.

&

AKINBOLA TOLUWALOPE JOAN

Department of Fine and Applied Arts
School of Vocational Education
Federal College of Education, Abeokuta.

Abstract
Clothing is a reflection of a society’s culture, tradition, beliefs, weather conditions, history and spiritual
identity. It communicates the wearers’ innate character, personality, societal class and moral values.
This study examined socio economic influence on clothing behavior of female undergraduates in selected
tertiary institutions in South Western Nigeria. A structured, pretested and validated questionnaire
with test-retest reliability index ranging from 0.94 to 0.99 was administered to one thousand and sixty
seven (1,067) female undergraduates randomly chosen from six (6) universities in South Western
Nigeria. Data obtained were subjected to Pearson product moment correlation coefficient statistical
method to analyse relationship between variables and student t-test. Mean (X) and Standard Deviation
(Sd) were used to rank identified factors. The study revealed that socio economic factors and foreign
culture have a significant influence on female undergraduates clothing behavior. It however revealed a
weak link between parental social status and female undergraduates clothing behavior. There is urgent
need to re-orientate them on the indigenous and ethnic values embedded in the traditional dress culture
to maintain the identity of the study area in the comity of nations; projecting the image of the society
to other societies and the international communities at large.

Keywords: Clothing Behaviour, Socio-economic Status, Foreign Culture, Tertiary

Institutions, South Western States.

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Introduction
Bert (2010) confirmed a statement made by Olugbenga (2008) that there is always a reason
why clothing is worn. Previous researches on women and fashion appeared to have
concentrated their efforts on changes in fashion trends while few adjudged several reasons
for such changes. Most of these earlier researches also premised on the assumption that
western culture and civilization are the culprits for these changes. This research attempted to
bridge this knowledge gap by identifying the socio economic factors influencing female
clothing behavior in Nigeria.

In the Nigerian society, clothing serves more purposes and functions than just securing the
external body from storm or weather. It is also regarded as a reflection of the wearer’s
personality, societal class and moral values. This gave birth to the Yoruba adage which states
that “Irinisi ni isonilojo” meaning “First impression lasts long” History reflects an expression
of uniqueness and a cultured way of life where clothing tradition are passed down from
generation to generation. Much value was placed on the sanctity of proper dressing.
Culturally, the indecent exposure of the female body was regarded as an anathema and
jealously guided against, offenders were considered in the society as loose and uncultural.
Isabel (2010) in an earlier study supported this when she stated that in today’s world Nigeria’s
rich cultural heritage in the area of clothing is being gradually eroded by subsequent
imposition of an alien culture. Asma, Aywsha and Hussein (2008) noted that the tremendous
acceleration of fashion changes that occurs in contemporary society has been the subject of
much social criticism. Odeleye (200) and Cassidy (2011) observed that these culturally
unacceptable clothing habits are not limited to a particular class of women; it cuts across the
entire socio-economic status; irrespective of educational status. In order to weigh the value of
such commentaries, one must get an insight into the real factors influencing clothing behavior
of women, hence the need for this study.

This study identified the socio economic factors influencing the clothing behavior of female
undergraduates. The relationship between their clothing behavior and their parents’ socio
economic status was also assessed. It further investigated the influence of foreign culture on
their clothing behavior. The Nigerian tertiary institutions accommodate a large percentage of
the female gender whose future is germane to the development of the nation. Therefore it is
believed that these group of people need to be exposed to relevant information that will guide
them towards responsible and safe sexuality. The need to re-orientate them on the indigenous
and ethnic values embedded in the traditional clothing culture is the reason for this study.

Research Questions

1. Are female undergraduates clothing behavior influenced by socio economic factors?

2. What are the socio economic factors influencing the clothing behavior of female
undergraduates?
3. Does foreign culture have any influence on the clothing behavior of female
undergraduates?

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ISSN: 2734-2522 (Print); ISSN: 2734-2514 (Online)

Research hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were tested.
Ho1: Socio economic factors have no significance influence on Clothing behavior of female
undergraduates.

Ho2: There is no significant influence of foreign culture on the Clothing behavior of female
undergraduates.

Ho3: There is no significant relationship between female undergraduates clothing behavior

and their parents’ social status.

Methodology
The statistical tools used in this study are:
1. Sectional and descriptive study design
2. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient statistical method
Descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages will be used to analyse the
demographic information of the respondents. Pearson product-moment correlation
coefficient will be used to analyse relationship between variables and student t-test.

Population under study

This study is targeted towards female students of tertiary institutions. The study population
comprises of all female undergraduates studying in Nigerian Southwestern Universities.
Sample size
A sample representative of female undergraduates in Nigerian Universities was obtained
from a population of 3,760,000. The sample size was calculated using UNESCO 2012 Creative
research system formula.
Sampling technique
Stratified sampling method was used to select the six Universities used. Kerlinger (2003) A
random sampling of one thousand, six hundred and sixty eight (1,668) respondents; consisting
of one hundred and seventy eight (178) subjects (all females) each from six higher institutions
from the six states in South western Nigeria was used for the study.

Table 1: Population and sample size

S/N TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS STATE SAMPLE NO

1. University of Lagos Lagos 178

2. Babcock University Ogun 178

3. University of Ibadan Oyo 178

4. Ekiti state University Ekiti 178

5. Federal University of Technology, Akure Ondo 178

6. Osun State University Osun 178

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ISSN: 2734-2522 (Print); ISSN: 2734-2514 (Online)

Research Instrument
A questionnaire titled “The clothing behavior assessment questionnaire” (CBAQ) was
administered to gather date from the respondents. It was in three parts, the first part was to
collect demographic data, the second part consisted of sixty one (61) structured questionnaire
items which were made to reflect the focus of the study. It was fashioned with the response
options of Agreed (A), Strongly Agreed (SA), disagree (D), and Strongly disagree (SD) The
third part was adopted from the Personal data card developed by Faji (1998) for assessing
socio economic factors in the home and family environment consisting of fourteen (14)
structured statements. The questionnaire was validated by experts in the field fo face and
content validity. The reliability was determined by the use of test retest method.

Results
Table 2: Demograhic characteristics of Respondents
Description Frequency Percent %
Age
14. 20 465 46.2
21.30 478 47.5
31.40 47 4.7
41.50 11 1.1
Religion
Christianity 705 70.1
Islam 289 28.7
Others 7 7
Marital Status
Maried 148 14.7
Single 833 82.8
Divorced 18 1.8
Others 3 3
Ethnicty
Yoruba 858 85.3
Igbo 84 8.4
Hausa 9 9
Others 61 6.1
Average Monthly Allowance
Below 10,000 naira per month 636 63.2
10.000-30,000 naira per month 341 33.9
Above 30,000 naira per month 25 2.5

The results in Table 2 above shows the demographic characteristics of respondents. Most of
the respondents are between the ages of 14-30 (94%) with only a few of them older than 30
(60%) years. Among the religious groups, majority of them are Christians 705 (70%) followed
by Muslims 289 (83%) and others 7 (1%). Most of the respondents were still single 838 (83%)
with few married ones 148 (15%) and others 21 (2%) .

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ISSN: 2734-2522 (Print); ISSN: 2734-2514 (Online)

Ethnic bais of the respondents revealed that majority of them were Yorubas 858 (85%).
Followed by Igbos 84 (8%). Hausas 9 (1%) and others of 61 (6%). Data collected on the
respondents’ financial status revealed that most of them 636 (63%) collect an allowance of
below ten thousand per month (10,000) while few (34%) collect between ten (10) – thirty (30)
thousand per month and others 24 (3%) above thirty thousand (30,000).

Table 3
Research question 1
Result of one-sample t-test to determine the influence of socio economic factors on female
undergraduates clothing behaviour.

Hypothesis Ho: =50% t-value Df p value Comment

Ho: 𝜇= 50% Ha: >50% 61.40 11.81 30.50 1001 <0.05 Significant

Ha: 𝜇 >50%

The influence of socio-economic factors on their clothing behaviour was what this research
question sought to answer. The mean score (%) of the aggregate influence of various identified
socio-economic factors influencing female undergraduates clothing behaviour was compared
against a threshold of 50%. Values higher than 50% (Strongly disgreed or disagreed) suggest
an influnce while values lower than 50% (Strongly disgreed or disgreed) revealed no
influence. As shown in table 6, the means score of the aggregate influnce of socio-economic
factors on their clothing behaviour was 61.40 which is significantly (p<0.05) higher than 50%
(t-30.5 df=1001)

Table 4
Research question 2
Mean score ranking of socio-economic factors influencing female undergraduates clothing
behaviour

Socio-Economic Mean Rank

Factors
Peer group influence 73.69 1st
Sense of belonging 70.81 2nd
Clothing cost 66.84 3rd
Social expectations 61.72 4th
Income 59.22 5th
Purchasing power 54.63 6th

Item 30-43 in the clothing behaviour assessment questionnaire (CBAQ) measured socio
economic influnce on clothing behaviour of female undergraduates. It contained 14 items. 2

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each measured six (6) identified socio economic factors viz peer group, sense of belonging,
cost, socio expectations, income and purchasing power. The raw score for each of the two
items were obtained for the calculation of their respective mean. Consequently, the mean
score were ranked in order of magnitude. Peer group ranked first with a mean score (×) of
73.69 followd by sense of belonging (×= 70.36) clothing cost (×= 66.84), socio-economic
expectation (×= 59.22) and Income (× = 59.22) with purchasing power coming last (×= 54.63)
The result of the analysis is as presented in the table above.

Table 4
Research question 3

Result of one-sample t-test to determine the influence of foreign culture on female

undergraduates clothing behavior
Hypothesis Mean SD t-value df p value Comment

Ho: 𝝁= 50% 59.71 11.39 26.98 1001 <0.05 Significant

Ha: 𝝁 >50%

Items 1-29 in the clothing behavour assessment questionnaire (CBAQ) measured foreign
culture influence on female undergraduates clothing behavior. The calculated mean of foreign
culture influence was compared against a threshold of 50% (strongly agreed or agreed)
suggest an influence while values lower than 50% (strongly disagreed or disagreed) revealed
no inflence. As shown in table 4 the mean score of the foreign culture influence on their
clothing behavior was 59.71 which is significantly (p<0.05) higher than 50% (t=26.98 df=1001).

Analysis of Hypothesis 1
There is no significant influence of socio-economic factors on female undergraduate
clothing behavior.
The result of the data analysed showed a significant (p < 0.05) correlation between socio-
economic factors and clothing behavour of the female undergraduates (r=0.725).

Analysis of Hypothesis 2
There is no significant inflence of foreign culture on female undergraduates clothing
behaviour.
Correlation result of data analysed showed a significant (p= <0.05) association between foreign
culture influence and female undergraduates clothing behaviour (r=0.529).

Analysis of Hypothesis 3
There is no significant relationship between parental socio-economic status and female
undergraduates clothing behaviuor.
The correlation result of data analyzed to test the influnce of parental socio-economic status
on the female undergraduates clothing behaviour showed a weak relationship (r= 0.303)
though significant (p=< 0.05).

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Discussion of findings
The study revealed a significant influence of socio-economic factors on clothing behavior of
female undergraduates. This shows that clothing behavior is influenced by underlying factors.
Bert, (2010) and Olugbenga, (2008) supported this when they stated that there is always a
reason why clothing is worn. Kiran, (1999) while working on a similar study found out that
in any age there were some force of work that tendered to restrict or impend change in
clothing patterns. Paolucei et al (1977) stated that clothing choices are influenced by
meaningful interaction the individual experience within various environments. Moody et al
(2010) presented that clothing styles were influenced by physical environments, resources and
the ability to use those resources.

The influence of six socio-economic factors were examined, the study revealed that out of
socio-economic factors influencing female undergraduate clothing behavior, Peer group
influence ranked first. This supports the findings by Mangan, Beaudoin, Jean and Robitaille
(2003) that peer group tops the list of influencing factors on clothing behavior sense of
belonging takes the second position. Clothing cost ranked third while Socio-economic
expectations ranked fourth followed by income of the female undergraduates. Purchasing
power was sixth with society status being the last.

The influence of foreign culture on the female undergraduates clothing behavior was
statistically significant. The study concluded that foreign culture has significant influence on
female undergraduates clothing behaviour. This leads credence to the fact that the cultural
heritage of the study areas as far as clothing is concerned is being gradually eroded. The world
has become global village with inter and intra cultural transference of which clothing behavior
is not an exception. Charama, (2010) noted this when he stated that the Nigerian of the
younger society is confronted with the grave danger of generation being totally disconnected
from their roots culturally. Ahrold, Woo, Brotto and Meston (2007) also observed that the
greater taste for civilization turned Nigerians against their tradition Ajayi (2006) observed that
because African were said to be indoctrinated by Europeans, the level of acculturation of the
whites culture by the blacks was rapid and fast to the extent that the culture of the whites fast
diluted that of the Africans. Berry, Phinney, Sam and Wedder. (2006) recalled that the target
to be like the white influenced all sects of African’s life to neglect of theirs. They further
reported the indoctrination of the blacks by the whites that anything that is white is good
while anything that is black is evil.

A paramount ruler Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona” supported this view which was
recorded in one of the national dailies. “Ijebu News” (2003) He stated that in various homes
in Nigeria presently, there are several families that lived without their local cultures. This
confirms the feelings of an earlier study conducted by Lysonski et all, (2013) involving one
hundred and sixty five (165) respondents in Lagos. Nigeria. He discovers that Nigerians were
acculturated to a large degree in terms of cosmopolitan tendency, exposure to marketing
activities of multinationals, English language usage, social interaction and global mass media
exposure.

Utoh-Ezeajugh and Chima (2010) of Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka also noted that
Nigerian dress culture has been influenced by other cultures over the years and different

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styles of Nigerian fashion have evolved from a mixture of Nigerian and other African dress
culture as well as western dress culture.

The findings of the study revealed a significant relationship though weak between the
clothing behavior of female undergraduates and their parental socio-economic status several
reasons could be deduced for this. Market survey shows fashionable mordernised wears can
be purchased from various bend down boutiques at affordable cheaper price than those sold
in boutiques. This may be responsible for the ability of respondents from low parental socio-
economic background to be able to purchase them. Peer pressure was also discovered to be a
highly influencing factor in clothing behavior. Lanchance, Beaudion and Robiltaille, ( 2003)
noted that this may be responsible for the desperate attitude shown by some of the female
undergraduates to dress in ways acceptable to the peers at all costs, they are ready to do
anything to be referred to as one of the big girls on campus by their clothing behavior. This
was fingered to be one of the reasons why they go into prostitution and the likes (Olugbenga,
2008)

Conclusion
The objective of this study was to examine factors influencing clothing behavior of female
undergraduates. This is with the aim of providing the needed theoretical and empirical bases
to put a stop to the danger of producing youths who are totally disconnected from their roots
as far as clothing culture is concerned.

The study revealed a significant influence on the female undergraduates clothing behaviour
by socio-economic factors (peer group, sense of belonging, clothing cost, social expectations,
income and purchasing power), parental influence and foreign culture.

One of the major factors responsible for the endangerment of our indigenous dressing culture
is the misconception that they are no longer compatible with modern and societal demands
in a global and modern world and should be allowed to die a natural death. This is because
culture is viewed as static. Culture can no longer continue to be viewed; it is dynamic and
should view as such. There is the urgency to modernize our dressing culture to attract national
and international appeal to make it compatible with socio economic development.

Conclusively, it is very essential to take advantage of mass media to re-orientate the

indigenous and ethnic value embedded in the traditional dress culture for the female
undergraduates.

Recommendations
In veiw of the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made:
1. Mass media should be maximized to re-orientate the youth on the indigenous and
ethnic
values embedded in the traditional dress culture. Media managers and practitioners
as gate-keepers must develop a Nigerian cultural inclination and consciousness that
will allow for the production of programmes reflecting the Nigerian idiom, develop
its own television rhetoric and creative ability. The broadcast houses should enforce
in-house policy requiring that staff must air their indigeous name at least while on air.

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2. Government and stakeholders should formulate policies that will project Nigerian
dress culture as a tool for national identity and unity. Such policies should be
monitored and enforced.
3. The Government and stakeholders should also create an enabling environment for the
development of indigeous Textile industries. They should formilate policies and
introduce incentives that will encourage the growth and development of the industry.
4. Authority of government parastatals amd educational institutional should enforce the
wearing of traiditional wears on Fridays to project the Nigerian culture. Traditional
attires should also be regarded as an official dress during cultural national meetings
and festivities.
5. All higher instituitons should enforce dress codes to discourage the excesses of
westernized wears by the female undergraduates. Revealing clothes and short skimpy
tops and the likes should be discouraged.
6. The film industries should be regularized. Programs projecting western cultures to the
detriment of the indigenous culture should be discouraged. Radio and television
jingles that promote moral values and sanctity of sex should be aired and relayed
7. Religious institutions should serve as dry-cleaning houses where morals are preached
and societally acceptable dressing patterns are enforced.
8. Further studies on relationsip between female undergraduates clothing and sexual
behaviour should be carried out.

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