INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL INTOLERANCE DIMENSION OF ETHNOCENTRISM ON YOUTHS’ POLITICAL ACTIVISM IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined influence of cultural intolerance dimension of ethnocentrism on youths’ political activism in Nigeria. Four hundred and thirty-six (436) youths from Eastern (Enugu & Port Harcourt), Western (Lagos and Ibadan), Middle-Belt (Abuja and Makurdi), and Northern (Kano and Kaduna) sociocultural regions of Nigeria served as participants in the study. They comprised 221 (50.7%) males, and 215 (49.2%) females. Participants’ age ranged from 21 to 39 years with mean age of 30.84 and 5.78. Cluster and incidental sampling techniques were used. Two instruments were used for the study: Cultural Intolerance Ethnocentrism Scale and The Activism Orientation Scale. The study adopted crosssectional design and Univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) as appropriate design and statistics. The study showed that ccultural intolerance ethnocentrism had significant influence on Nigerian youths’ political activism at (F1, 427) = 13.54, p<.05. The finding implies that the belief in one's own ethnic group or culture can have profound implications on political activism. Based on the following, the study recommends that there is need to encourage youth’s activists to learn about and appreciate diverse cultures to help reduce ethnocentric attitudes. This encouragement should provide valuable insights into different perspectives and foster a more inclusive mindset for youth’s impactful political activism in Nigeria.