Browsing by Author "Frimpong, L.K."
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Item Actor-network analysis of community based organisations in health pandemics: evidence from the COVID-19 response in Freetown, Sierra Leone(Disasters, 2021) Frimpong, L.K.; Commodore, T.S.; Okyere, S.A.; et al.Freetown, Sierra Leone, is confronted with health risks that are compounded by rapid, unplanned urbanisation and weak capacities of local government institutions. Addressing them implies a shared responsibility between government and non-state actors. In low-income areas, the role of community-based organisations (CBOs) in combating health disasters is well-recognised. Yet, empirical evidence on how they have utilised their networks and coordinated community-level strategies in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic is scant. This paper, based on a qualitative study in two informal settlements in Freetown employs actor-network theory to understand how CBOs problematize COVID-19 as a health risk, interact with other entities, and the subsequent tensions that arise. The findings show that community vulnerabilities and past experiences of health disasters informed CBOs’ perception of COVID-19 as a communal emergency. In response, they coordinated sensitisation and mobilisation programmes by relying on a network of actors to support COVID-19 risk reduction strategies. Nonetheless, misunderstandings among them caused friction.Item Collective efficacy and fear of crime in urban neighbourhoods in Ghana(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd., 2018) Frimpong, L.K.; Oteng-Ababio, M.; Owusu, G.; Wrigley-Asante, C.Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between neighbourhood characteristics and fear of crime, and further explore how this relationship is mediated by collective efficacy. The background to this is that while research, mainly based on the experiences of western countries is conclusive on how collective efficacy plays a mediating role between neighbourhood structural characteristics and fear of crime, the situation in developing countries remains poorly researched. Design/methodology/approach: The study drew from a baseline survey conducted in different socio-economic neighbourhoods in four cities in Ghana. With regards to the analysis, results from a series of ordinary least square multiple regression models were used to develop a path diagram to explain the direct and indirect relationships at the various study neighbourhoods. Findings: Results from the study showed variations of the extent of neighbourhood effect on fear of crime and collective efficacy in the different socio-economic neighbourhoods. More importantly, the study revealed that collective efficacy mediated the effect of a number of neighbourhood characteristics on fear of crime in low-income neighbourhoods compared to middle- and high-income neighbourhoods. Practical implications: The conclusion of the study brings to the fore the relevance of collective efficacy as a vehicle for building safer communities in Ghana since it relies on local initiatives in addressing criminogenic problems. More importantly, it is suggested that formal crime prevention efforts should be integrated with informal crime control measures, particularly in low-income neighbourhoods. Originality/value: Using extensive survey data collected in Ghana, the study examines the applicability of collective efficacy, a western-based socio-ecological theory in a developing country context. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.Item A comparative appraisal of environmental conditions in two urban low-income communities in Accra, Ghana(Environmental conditions in urban low-income communities in Ghana, 2022) Gyimah, R.R.; Frimpong, L.K.; Anambane, G.; Akolaa, R.A.; Mensah, S.L.; Danso-Abbeam, H.This paper examines (i) the state of environmental conditions in two low-income urban communities in Accra, Ghana, using a Participatory Rapid Assessment (PRA) method, and (ii) changes in the environmental conditions in the two low-income communities over the years using the PRA method. The PRA was augmented with qualitative interviews with selected heads of household and other stakeholders from the study communities. The results showed that environmental conditions in the two study communities were poor as indicated by the computed average scores for the environmental problem areas. However, conditions were poorer in Chorkor compared to La. The paper recommends that local governments units in Ghana must prioritise sustained, improved, and reliable funding for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) to ensure undisruptive implementation of environmental health programs and policies. This must be accompanied with improved community education and sensitization on proper sanitary practices, which have the potential to mitigate the effects of disease epidemics such as cholera in the two communities. The study also provides important perspectives on differentials in environmental conditions in low-income communities in urban Ghana.Item Determinants of perceived insecurity in a low-income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana(JOURNAL OF URBANISM, 2019-07-29) Wrigley-Asante, C.; Frimpong, L.K.; Amu, J.T.; Owusu, G.; Oteng-Ababio, M.This study examines perception of safety and security, factors that influence this perception and the consequences of feeling insecure within Nima, a low-income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana. The study is important because previous studies on crime and insecurity in urban areas in Ghana have concentrated on interurban analysis, with limited attention given to the safety and security dynamics within a particular neighborhood. Our study thus provides an insider perspective on security and safety issues in the Nima neighborhood. A mixed-methods approach was used in both the data collection and analysis of the results. The study found that a majority of the respondents perceived Nima to be safe, which is contrary to outsiders’ perception and media reports about the neighborhood. For those who had some safety concerns, it was revealed that their safety concerns were largely accounted for by neighborhood-level factors such as availability of street lights and social cohesion and these contributed to behavioral and psychological reactions to feelings of insecurity among some respondents. We argue that addressing safety concerns of individuals will be more effective if broader structural issues are addressed in the neighborhood.Item A digital turn for urban management? Residents’ perception and utilisation of the digital property address system in Accra, Ghana(Urban Governance, 2023) Mensah, S.L.; Frimpong, L.K.; Okyere, S.A.; et al.Rapid urbanisation and its associated challenges in Global South countries have necessitated the use of digital technologies in urban management. Key to their successful utilisation for urban management is residents’ perceptions and utilisation of these technologies. Yet, little attention has been given to this area of research. Using data gathered from a cross-sectional survey in three suburban communities, the study examined residents’ perceptions and utilisation of the digital property address system (DPAS) in Accra, Ghana. The findings revealed that residents understand the benefits of the DPAS. However, residents’ perceived benefits, usage and challenges varied by socio-demographic groups. More importantly, the findings revealed that the use of the DPAS is beset with operational difficulties and non-use by government agencies. To ensure that digital technologies such as the DPAS provide opportunities for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development trajectories in Ghana and Africa, it is imperative that residents’ use and challenges of such technologies inform improvements in their design and implementation.Item Navigating livelihoods in the midst of COVID-19: experiences of women in informal cross-border trading in Accra, Ghana(South African Geographical Journal, 2023) Wrigley-Asante, C.; Frimpong, L.K.Studies have indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on businesses, and that female-led businesses have been more negatively affected than male-led ones because of their fragility, unpredictability, and lack of state support. One such group that has suffered because of the official closing of borders during the pandemic is informal cross-border traders. Using the empowerment framework and semi-structured interview guide, this study highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the livelihoods of Ghanaian women in informal cross-border trading. The findings show that the pandemic affected participants' livelihoods as well as their sociocultural and psychological lives creating a sense of dis-empowerment. Women in informal cross-border trading had however, used a variety of strategies to get themselves through those difficult times, including switching suppliers, using illegal routes to get their products into the country, and utilizing various social networks created to facilitate their businesses. The authors recommend that women in informal cross-border trading are provided with financial and institutional support as well as bettering their access to communication tools to streamline their commercial dealingsItem Public confidence in the police: tests of instrumental and expressive models in a developing country city(Police Practice and Research, 2018-09) Frimpong, L.K.; Oteng-Ababio, M.; Owusu, G.; Wrigley-Asante, C.This paper examines the effect of instrumental and expressive concerns on public confidence in the police in three different residential areas in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana’s third largest city. The study was important because of the knowledge vacuum that existed in regard to the empirical validity of the instrumental and expressive theoretical framework within the Ghanaian context. Data for the study was drawn from a baseline survey conducted in three residential areas in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis. The findings revealed that instrumental factors played a more significant role in influencing confidence in the police in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis compared to expressive factors. More importantly, instrumental factors played a more significant role in influencing confidence in the police at Anaji compared to the other two residential areas used in the study. The paper recommends that there should be more investment in police infrastructure and services to enhance police effectiveness and efficiency. Additionally, the authors also suggest that interventions aimed at improving security at the community level should be guided by periodic safety audits since this will provide a better understanding of the criminogenic problems within these residential settlements.