Stories of objectified children in Africa (PDF)

Master's Thesis from the year 2021 in the subject Didactics - Social Studies/ Civics, grade: 2,0, Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), course: Social work, language: English, abstract: The west African nation of Nigeria has over the years recorded cases of children in the context of child labor being objectified, an act that is largely perpetrated but ironically not well known because it happens behind closed doors of the employer's home. This study goes beyond the dominant discourse on child labor to add to the existing literature by exploring and revealing the features and elements of child objectification that are underestimated in previous literature and in the world.

The researcher undertakes to listen to the stories of victims of child objectification and attempts suggestions on how to limit it. The objective of this study is to illustrates the phenomenon of family background as the trigger for child objectification in Nigeria, discuss the ordeal of the objectified children in Nigeria and Explore expectation for a better future as a precondition of continuation of child objectification in Nigeria.

Drawing from the social constructivist framework and grounded theory of qualitative research, the findings from the data narrated by the objectified victims disclosed the ordeal they went through. They were used and exploited, abused and their basic human rights violated. The experience of these children fell short of expectations: They worked like machines, were confined to their employer's home with little or no channel of no communication with their families and friends, they were generally maltreated.

Despite the efforts by the Nigerian government together with some Non-Governmental Organizations to put an end to these human rights abuse against these minors, the practice seems to go on with most being silently committed. From the confessions of the victims, it is thought that the place of social work in Nigeria is primordial in tackling this crisis and bringing an end to child objectification. It concludes with recommendation aim at programmes and policies to inspire thoughts about these objectified children not only as topics of concern, but as valuable social actors with needs and goals.