Marital Friction: Its Effects on Rural Household Decision Making in Oyo State, Nigeria

The study examined the effects of marital friction on rural household decision making in Oriire Local Government area of Oyo state. Using a well structured interview schedule, eighty (80) respondents were sampled and the information collected was based on the stated objectives of the study. The results of the findings revealed that 61.2% of the respondents were male, all were married and the mean age was calculated to be 42.5. The major cause of marital friction between the spouses was sexual issues while agricultural production decisions were made solely by the husbands. 58.8% of the respondents agreed that quarrels were mainly settled by one of the spouses apologizing most of the time to one another. The major effects of marital friction were poor academic performance of the children and improper farm coordination. A significant relationship exists between the selected socio- economic characteristics and the effects of marital friction on rural household decision making. It was revealed from the findings that decisions on agricultural production were made solely by the husbands. The study therefore recommends that women should be involved in making decisions related to agricultural production as empirical studies have revealed globally that women contribute enormously to agricultural production.