CULTURAL DEGENERATION AND THE LOST HARMONY: A VIEW ON THE EROSION OF TRADITIONAL FAMILY SYSTEMS IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the Cultural degeneration, as evidenced in the modern-day society of Nigeria, constitutes a significant socio-cultural and familial change; it presents the gradual dissolution of family systems that have conventionally served as strong bedrock for social cohesion and moral regulation. This paper examines the complex interplay of factors that shape this phenomenon: the processes of globalization, urbanization, and economic restructuring, and the strong influence of Western ideologies, which all combine to place individualism and consumerist culture above communal responsibilities. The social structures of the traditional Nigerian family, typified by extended kinship networks, intergenerational support, and the internalization of indigenous moral and cultural values, increasingly give way to nuclear family structures and modern ways of life. This cultural shift therefore has significant consequences in terms of weakened family ties, loss of social support systems, erosion of communal identity, implications for societal stability, and cohesion. It articulates, through a historical and sociological analysis, the dire need for the preservation and restoration of family values grounded in culture. It emphasizes the role of indigenous practices, communal engagement, and culturally informed policy interventions in fostering strong family systems that are resilient to contemporary socio-economic challenges. This research, in sum, highlights the need to maintain cultural heritage at the same time as allowing for various transforms in societal life. In the end, it is essential to address the erosion of traditional family systems in ways that may reinforce social stability, moral continuity, and long-term community resilience in Nigerian settings.