ADULT PARTICIPATION IN COOPERATIVE

 

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF MEDIA IN ENCOURAGE ADULT PARTICIPATION IN COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES

                             

                               CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Cooperative society is a group of people who have bunched themselves together to carry on a business enterprise for the benefit of all of the members, which acting as an individual could not do or could do well. Cooperative then is the organization of a group of people who have provided their own self help user group enterprise. It is an association of persons, usually of limited means, who have voluntarily joined together to achieved a common economic end through the formation of a democratically controlled business organization making equitable contribution to the capital required and accepting a fair share of the risks and benefits of the undertaking. Cooperative society objectives are to foster economic development, provide social justice and strengthening political democracy (Ebonyi and Jimo 2002).

So many claims and counter claims have been made by researchers, concerning the historical development of cooperative such as Benjamin Franklins: Mutual Fire Insurance company in Philadelphia in 1752, International Cooperative society founded in Lennoxton in Scotland in 1812, Robert Owen era, Dr. William King (1825-1830) and Rochdale Equitable pioneers (Ntia 1999).

Cooperative societies as we know today, are based on a set of principles. These principles have been used as the distinguishing characteristics of the cooperative organization the world over. They included open membership, democratic control, promotion of members education, political and religious neutrality limited interest on capital and service at cost.

The aims of cooperative organizations are to establish credit agencies thereby permitting greater productive investments of accumulated capital funds, impart business management into other areas both horizontally and vertically, to accumulate capital in various ways including the pulling of members investments to assists in the development of other cooperative institution necessary for the establishment of general economic and social development. It is critical that the attainment of these objectives transcends the singular activities of the cooperative organization members and necessarily entails the activities of others bodies outside the organization.

There are various types of cooperative societies in Nigeria. Important among these are the farmers or Agricultural cooperatives which consist of produce marketing, credit and thrift, group farming and fish farming societies, (b) cooperative building societies (c) crafts and Artisan Artisan societies (d) consumer cooperative like the cooperatives Banks and Printing press.

Government initiative or participation is usually needed to establish cooperative organization in Nigeria. Such participation may be in the form of providing training schools, research, regulations grants and preferential treatments in procurement direct organization.

Adult participation is the engagement in activities with others. Being a member and taking part in a group activities is group or social participation. Participation in most formal associations has been measured in terms of holding of membership regular attendance at meetings, holding workshops, symposium debate, Discussions listening to Radio, watching television, Demonstration visit and excursions, using posters and pamphlets, leaflets Articles in news papers and periodicals serving in committies going out to actually work for the association. Thus participation is often thought of in terms of opportunity for social interaction in formal groups as well as identification with the groups  ideal and objectives (Ekong, 2003).

The media is all formal channels of mass communication. It is an indispensable institution in every society. Given its basic function of information disseminating, the media becomes a crucial element of the social system. It ensures general diffusion of knowledge about life, thus influencing many aspect of the social cultural, political and economic pattern of the society. But when the media is not used in any organization, it brings problem for people to participate very well in any organization. The thrust of this study therefore, is to examine the problems associated with use of media in encouraging societies.