SOCIAL PATHOLOGIES, YOUTH COUNTER CULTURE AND THE DIALECTICS OF PUBLIC POLICY IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This article aimed at evaluating the social pathologies (that is all forms of deviant behaviour as social problems) through three research questions in contemporary Delta State and Youth counter culture against the backdrop of public policies by governments. The methodology was to use the observational research design to gather data through focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KII) with youths and adults respectively among the five ethnic groups in Delta State. The participants were grouped according to same/similar socio-demographic information. The number of FGDs was 28 groups with a general mean ( X ) age of 24.77 years while the adult interview were with 28 community leaders with X age of 58.93 years. The descriptive-statistical analysis of percentages and multi-scale dimensional analysis techniques were adopted to analyse the data collected. The results among others, show that, generally, youths are protesting ritualistically by innovating novel cultures against our normal way of life, through their attitudes and behaviours which is at variance with the subsisting social and traditional norms, mores in Delta State. The study also confirmed that, traditional values have substantially collapsed among these young people in Delta State. These are against the government’s public policy on school dress code, alcoholism, all forms of fraud, cultism, rape, armed robbery, kidnapping, prostitution, corruption, anti-abortion, etc., aimed at regulating and changing negative attitudes and aberrant behaviour by the youths. In line with the Durkheimian structure-function perspective about pathology – normal model of medicine, the Marxists perception and Normative Ethics of society, the study recommends among others, that government institutions and the family should implement vigorously and publicly the statutory consequences on youths show of social pathologies. It was concluded that, only these consequences will serve as deterrent to youth counter culture, strengthen institutions and normalize society.