Abstract:
Urbanism carries within itself a complex web of social experiences and systems which rewards creativity and innovation other than a routine repetitive lifestyle. Social change remains a constant encounter in all human settlements but appears to be most visible in the urban social space. Change in itself is the hegemony between existing and new social ideas which is measured by how these ideas improve social lives. People in urban areas are bound to encounter temptations to alter their normative ways of life owing to the prevalence of new and different ways of doing things.
This research explores the effect of urbanism on the social lives of ethnic migrants from the West Africa regions who have settled in the city of Accra. It examines how the different generations of Gao people in Accra cope with city life. Especially, the cultural practises and intergenerational gaps between the youth, adults and elderly Gao people. The study discusses the living arrangements, lifestyle changes, migration, settlement patterns and social relations this group of people have practised over the years. It does this by collecting qualitative data on the changing trends in the social institutional practices of the different generations of Gao people.
The data indicates changes in the lifestyle of Gao people over the years. However, in the midst of these changes, they have been able to keep their social identity and maintain their cultural heritage. They have also been able to integrate into their local community. As expected, the social outlook of younger generations is quite different from the older generations. Cultural practices such as betrothal has declined, family sizes are on the decrease and females have more freedom to socialize beyond the household.
