CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In today's world, the media wields enormous power. It has a huge impact on individuals because it pushes them to make alternative choices and decisions on a variety of topics, including their clothing habits. It has influenced not only how people perceive many aspects of their lives, but it has also served as guidance for a variety of issues, including the type and design of clothing they wear.This is most evident when looking at foreign films that people watch for fun and enjoyment. Films, often known as motion pictures, consist of a succession of images projected onto a screen to give a sense of movement. Film, as a medium of mass communication, is extremely important in today's globalized society.It is one of the most well-recognized kinds of entertainment, allowing people to be immersed in an imagined world for a short amount of time (Olaleye, 2007). The attraction to films has risen among people in general, especially those from other cultures, thanks to subtitles that translate into other languages. Subtitles allow viewers to watch films that were not made in their native language. This breakthrough paves the way for a fast flow of films from their home nations to other countries, including Nigeria. Films from the United States, France, India, China, Japan, Mexico, and the Philippines, among others, are widely available in Nigeria today. Students now tend to talk, walk, behave, eat, and dress exactly like the characters they have seen in films, as a result of the explosion of films in society.

Furthermore, foreign films, particularly fashion films, are primarily targeted at students in order to create a market for foreign dresses that can be easily sold and adopted by students. Western films have gained a home in the hearts of students as a result of this concept, to the point where our native attire is rarely seen on campus. Furthermore, Vasudev (1986), in his research on Foreign Films and their Influence on Cultural Values in India, claims that the creation of cinema in the West has resulted in a Western dominance over the means of production and, most crucially, distribution. As a result, the societal influence of such films is just as significant as the emergence of new art. The rest of the world's captive markets were saturated with pictures that represented the culture of the nations from whence they originated, in Europe and America. Their films occupied our minds and imaginations to the exclusion of our own perspectives, dreams, and goals, because there was no opposition to the cultural imperialism enjoyed by these nations, which provided no opportunities for any type of culture.We also adopted their beliefs and conventions, thereby assimilating into their cultures. In a similar vein (Semiu 2011),

According to Oketumbi, E.O.O. (2017) in his pre-field presentation, "Influence of foreign movies on cultural practices among undergraduates in selected universities in Nigeria," western movies allow teenagers to travel around the world, and film is one of the major contributors to the blind acceptance and practice of western cultures by young people in Nigeria and Africa. In Nigerian society, the situation is quite alarming in the sense that Western films have a significant influence on teenagers' attitudes, thoughts, and general behaviors, and, worse yet, Nollywood films, which are mostly based on Western models, consolidate Western films, thereby promoting Western values in Nigeria.

The tremendous influence of foreign films on Nigerian students in general, and their dressing habits in particular, has sparked the idea for this research project, which aims to take a close and panoramic look at how far the influence extends to Abia State polytechnic students' dressing habits.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

For a long time, social scientists and policymakers have been worried about the effects of films and television, particularly on teenagers and students. The argument is that such exposure encourages young people to engage in risky behaviors such as unsafe sex, alcohol use, translation and adoption of foreign values and norms, and violence, among other things. Visual media has an impact on a wide range of attitudes and behaviors among young people, and it can encourage dangerous behavior. Furthermore, pupils are undoubtedly exposed to international films. Students want to learn about different cultures, so this exposure is based on that.As a result, cinema, as a strong medium of mass communication, has affected a variety of elements of people's attitudes and behaviors, including their clothing choices and preferences. "Students' experience or lack of exposure to foreign films impacts their ideas about other cultures," writes Daine (2006), citing Oketumbi, E.O.O. (2017) in his pre-field presentation, "Influence of foreign movies on cultural practices among students in selected institutions in Nigeria." The clothing style shown in foreign films is part of this culture. The clothing we wear is also a part of our culture. Wok, S., concurs with the preceding  According to Mohd, S. (2007), "the influence of television and magazines on teenagers, adolescents, and young people is widespread," with the influence primarily on their dressing and attire.Furthermore, the importation of foreign dress codes and their adoption by students of tertiary institutions has been a constant source of concern. As evidenced by the preceding scholarly arguments, foreign films have been implicated and indicted in numerous cases, which breeds the enculturation of passive spectators with foreign clothing at the expense of their own pattern of dressing.Their hypothesis is based on the reality that foreign films frequently lead to individuals accepting an alien culture while pushing their own to the background. The clothing they wear is an essential element of their culture. In this context, the purpose of this study is to look at the impact of foreign films on the dressing habits of Abia State Polytechnic students. The goal of the study is to confirm or disprove the many viewpoints offered, as well as to evaluate whether the influence has a good or bad impact on the pupils.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

I.       To determine the extent to which the foreign media has influenced Abia State Polytechnic's male students.

II.    To determine the extent to which male Abia state polytechnic students watch foreign media.

III. to figure out a way to restrict the dissemination of foreign films at the Abia State Polytechnic.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

I.       To what extent has the foreign media influenced male students at Abia State Polytechnic?

II.    How much do male Abia state polytechnic students consume foreign media?

III. How can the distribution of foreign films at Abia State Polytechnic be limited?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research is important from a social and theoretical standpoint. The study's societal importance stems from the fact that it will inform society about how indigenous culture is being wiped out as a result of excessive consumption of western content. This will serve as a roadmap for making a deliberate effort to promote the use of locally manufactured and produced gowns. & that students from tertiary schools of study will be at the forefront of championing the cause of wearing traditional clothing, therefore contributing to the revitalization of a fading culture. In the same spirit, it will act as a motivator for policymakers and filmmakers to undertake real efforts that will result in the preservation of important aspects of the indigenous culture through locally produced films. Furthermore, it will provide insight into the fact that foreign films are also a driving element in the specific behaviors observed in Nigerian higher institutions. Finally, it will potentially contribute to information on the influence of the mass media by adding to the previously existing body of literature, as research in this field is still not widely performed, particularly in Nigeria. This will encourage other researchers to repeat or begin similar studies.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study's focus will be on the impact of foreign films on Abia State University's dressing habits. As a result, any other aspects of foreign films' impact on pupils, such as moral values, language preferences, behaviour toward seniors, and speaking etiquette, will be ignored in this research.

1.7 LIMITATION OF STUDY

Because the research will be coupled with other academic activities, the studies will be confined to normal students of the Abia State Polytechnic in Abia State. Furthermore, time will be a major limiting factor in the work's expansion. Because of the scarcity of literature and budgetary constraints, there appears to be much more work to be done.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Foreign movies: These are a sequence of pictures depicting extraterrestrial societies that are projected onto the screen to create the appearance of realism. Such a collection of pictures might originate in the Americas, the Philippines, China, or India, among other places. They are referred to as foreign films because they are not produced in the United States with our cultural predispositions in mind; rather, they serve to portray or project a culture that does not originate in the United States.

Influence: the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself.

Dressing: to put clothes or a covering on.

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