Fourteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

This study investigated the strategies that career women in Osun State, Nigeria, are employing to affectively socialize their children and the challenges they face in the process. Public opinion on how career women affectively socialize them is also investigated. The study employed the cross-sectional survey design to collect information from 200 career women in four different careers-jobs; and from sixty persons who are specialists in Sociology, Education, Gender Study, Politics, Economics, Religion, Law, and Educated Market Women. Data were collected with a career women’s children affective socialization assessment questionnaire, and a third-party opinion interview guide on affective socialization of career women’s children. Data collected were analyzed using qualitative approaches. The results shows that (among others) the strategies used mostly by career women in Osun State to affectively socialize their children revolved around direct-teaching, discipline, reward, and reinforcement of the children. The challenges faced in the affective socialization of their children included being away for long periods, influence of foreign culture mediated by science and technology, disposition of the in-laws, parent’s health condition, and husband’s job demands. The result further show that among other ways, career women affectively socialize their children by not picking up a career while children are young; teaching children religious and moral instruction; seeking assistance of significant others; and making use of boarding facilities at schools. The study concludes that career women in Osun State may not be able to socialize their children effectively unless they engage the services of well-guided humane children caregivers.