Atiku Abdullateef Abiodun, Abdullahi Kayode Ibrahim, Afolabi Comfort Yemisi, Sunmola Kazeem Adebayo, Ajayi Oluwabukola

Keywords: Extra-marital affairs, family, hunger, marriage, rational choice

Abstract

Extra-marital affairs have become common in modern society. Extra-
marital affair connotes an immoral act that has brought most families into sudden or prolong distrust, partial separation, and even divorce. With growing economic hardship manifesting in hunger, most
married couples tend to justify extra-marital affair as a means of survival. Using the rational choice theory, this paper examines extra-marital affairs among young female couples in Ilorin, Nigeria. Data for the paper emerged through in-depth interviews (IDIs) with
eighteen participants. Findings revealed that extra-marital affairs
have become pronounced among married young female couples in Ilorin, Nigeria due to hunger and economic hardship in the country. The paper concludes that key determinants of extra-marital affairs among young female couples in Ilorin reside in hunger and economic hardship. The paper recommends that religious clerics, government agencies and policy makers should play critical roles in remodeling the family institution while government at all levels should create enabling environment to improve standards of living for citizens.

Author Biography

Atiku Abdullateef Abiodun

Department of Social Work, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Ilorin, Nigeria

Abdullahi Kayode Ibrahim
Department of Crime and Security Studies, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Ilorin, Nigeria

Afolabi Comfort Yemisi, Sunmola Kazeem Adebayo

Department of Gender and Development Studies, Faculty of Multidisciplinary Studies, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Ajayi Oluwabukola

Department of Psychology and Behavioural Studies, Faculty of the Social Sciences, Ekiti State University,
Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Corresponding Author’s Email: [email protected]

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