Gender disparity in hopelessness among unemployed graduates: the aftermath of traditional gender-role expectations

Abstract

Taking recourse to the traditional gender-role expectation which views males as the family breadwinner and head, it is assumed that the psychological consequences of unemployment may not be the same for both male and female unemployed. In view of this, this study examined gender disparities in hopelessness in a sample of unemployed graduates obtained in Lagos, Nigeria. Hopelessness was defined as a system of negative expectancies concerning oneself and one’s future, measured by the 20-item Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). One hundred and fifty seven (157) participants were recruited using the systematic sampling method among groups of employment seekers waiting to write a job test in an assessment center in Ikeja, Lagos. The sample consists 81 males (52%) and 76 females (48%) with an age range of 20-30 years. Data were analyzed using one-way ANCOVA, one-way ANOVA and t-test for independent samples. Findings suggest that male unemployed were more hopeless than the female unemployed, increased unemployment duration influenced hopelessness scores in male sample, but such was not found in female sample. While increasing age was a significant risk factor in developing hopelessness for female graduates, age was an unimportant variable in hopelessness for males. Given that the unemployment problem in Nigeria may not be over too soon considering the current economic mishaps, it is suggested that both physical and mental health institutions should aim at early recognition of hopelessness among unemployed graduates (with special reference to unemployed males) who seek treatment for the reason that hopelessness feelings may be an underlying factor in presenting problems.