School of Social Sciences

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Academic Stress, Academic Performance and the Psychological Well-Being of Senior High School Remedial Students in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana
(University Of Ghana, 2015-07) Duncan-Williams, B.; Opare-Henaku, A.; NYARKO, K.; University Of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology
This study investigated the influence of academic stress and academic performance on the psychological well-being of Senior High School (SHS) remedial students ranging from 18 to 25 years. The moderating role of social support, africultural coping, gender and socio-economic status in the relationship between academic stress and psychological well-being were also investigated. The moderating role of academic self-efficacy, in the relationship between academic performance and psychological well-being was also investigated. Data was collected from One hundred and eighty-two (182) SHS remedial students from two remedial schools in Accra. Questionnaires administered were the Student-Life Stress Inventory (SLSI), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS- 42), the Africultural Coping Systems Inventory (ACSI), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale. Results from the analysis using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient indicated a positive relationship between academic stress and psychological well-being (increasing scores on the DASS-42 indicates poorer psychological well-being). Similarly, Academic performance was not related to psychological well-being. Further analysis using, Hierarchical Multiple Regression analyses showed that social support, africultural coping, gender, and socio-economic status did not moderate the relationship between stress and psychological well-being. Lastly, an analysis using the independent t-test indicated gender differences in the psychological well-being of the students.
Accessibility and Utilisation of Primary Health Care Facilities in the Dangme West District of the Greater Accra Region
(University of Ghana, 2001-03) Fiah, B. K
The thrust of this study was to identify the factors which influence accessibility and utilization of health care facilities in the Dangme West District, and to find solutions to problems which were identified. The study covered nine fully operational health centres and health posts in the district, as well as randomly sampled service providers such as nurses, personnel of NGOs. heads of some government departments, opinion leaders and the district director of health services. The method of data collection was by structured questionnaires administered to patients, and interview guides were used to collect information from the service providers, opinion leaders, and the heads of government departments. The data were analysed using the SPSS and ArcView GIS software packages to determine relationships and the spheres of influence of the health centers and posts. The study showed that factors which played important roles in accessibility and utilization of the Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in the Dangme West District, were socio-demographic ones like age and gender, distance and institutional factors such as the number and distribution of health centers, inducements offered to patients, and quality of care. For example, the relatively high antenatal and postnatal coverage for the health center at Prampram is attributed to the free meals offered to children who use the service. The major community wide factor was the poor road network. Some factors which did not play an important role included the educational level and occupation of the respondents. Ways in which PHC can be strengthened in the district to make health care facilities accessible to all are recommended. These include the granting of greater autonomy to District Health Management Teams (DHMTs) to hire competent staff to ensure quality health delivery. It is also recommended that support for and supervision of the health posts should be increased. The need for effective networking among the government agencies and NGOs working in the health sector in the district was advocated.
Accessibility to Health Care in the Ga West Municipal Area.
(University of Ghana, 2014-07) Nyatepe, D.E; Kufogbe, S,K; Nikoi,E; University of Ghana, College of Humanitie, School of Social Sciences, Department of Geography and Resource Development
The study set out to examine the distribution of health facilities in the Ga West Municipal Area. The research also examined factors that influence accessibility to health care in the study area Both quantitative and qualitative data were used for the research. A total of three hundred and one (301) questionnaires were distributed to the heads of households in 6 randomly selected communities in the study area. Secondary data were obtained from documentary sources. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that health facilities are not adequately distributed, making accessibility difficult. The roads linking the inadequate health facilities are in bad shape. Most people have to travel several kilometers on deplorable roads before patronizing health care thereby reducing accessibility. This makes respondents to resort to self medication or adopt the “wait and see” attitude thus visiting health facilities mostly during emergencies by means of a hired taxi. The critical factors that influence accessibility to health care are service costs, distance, waiting time and socio-demographic factors; sex and income. The study concludes that some of the health facilities should be upgraded to a higher status. Poorly constructed roads should also be rehabilitated to reduce the travel time to health facilities.
Accessing Healthcare in Ghana: Challenges Of and Strategies Adopted By Persons with Physical Disability in the Accra Metropolis
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Abrokwah, R.
Access to quality and timely healthcare is essential to the health and well-being of all individuals with no exception to persons with physical disability. However, people in developing countries tend to have less access to healthcare than those in developed countries, with Ghana not being an exception. The issue of inadequate healthcare services at health facilities and the absence of disability friendly environment have made it difficult for persons with physical disability to access healthcare. However, there is very little information on access to healthcare for persons with physical disability in Ghana. This study explored access to healthcare for persons with physical disability in the Accra Metropolis. The study sought to ascertain the barriers persons with physical disability face in accessing healthcare in the Accra Metropolis, identify strategies persons with physical disability in the Accra Metropolis employed when they were ill and find out participants’ suggestions for improving healthcare services provided by health professionals in the Accra Metropolis. The study adopted a qualitative research design with twenty-one participants purposively sampled from the Ghana Blind Union, Ghana Society for the Physically Disabled and the Ghana National Association for the Deaf. The study found that persons with physical disability in the Accra Metropolis encountered barriers including physical, financial, attitudinal, communication, transportation and inadequate knowledge of health professionals on disability issues in accessing healthcare. The findings also revealed that persons with physical disability resorted to strategies such as hospital care, pharmacy visit, self-medication and exercising faith when they were ill. From the findings, participants suggested that availability of University of disability desks and sighted guides at health facilities would help improve healthcare provided by health professionals in the Accra Metropolis. The study concludes that, there is the need to address the issues associated with healthcare for persons with physical disability in order to improve on their overall well-being.
Accеss to Microfinancе Sеrvicеs and Its Еffеct on Micro Еntеrprisеs/ Еntrеprеnеurs in the Shai-Osudoku District
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Ankamah, J.
Thе study discussеs accеss to microfinancе sеrvicеs (crеdit) and how it affеct rural microеntеrprisеsin thе Shai - Osudoku arеa. It goеs furthеr to look at how thе dynamics ‘play out’ on improving thе living conditions of еntrеprеnеurs in tеrms of accеss to basic nееds (food, clothen, shelter), taking part in housеhold dеcision making, and еngaging in social еvеnts; thе assumption is that when entrepreneurs accеss microfinancе sеrvicеs (credit) it contributе to improvement in living conditions. A dеscriptivе rеsеarch dеsign еmploying both quantitativе and qualitative data colllеction mеthod was adoptеd for thе study; the statistical tool chi-square and binary logistic regression incorporated into SPSS were mainly used to test/ predict categorical outcomes. With a simplе and purposivе sampling tеchniquеs, 200 rеspondеnts wеrе sеlеctеd for thе study. Thе findings show that micro еntrеprеnеurs have an appreciable accеss to crеdit, though proximity or location of MFI was a crital issue in their ability to access credit. It was also established that, there is a positive and significant effect between access to credit and microenterprise viability as increased entrepreneurs’ perception on profit gains were high. Entrеprеnеurs who again accеssed crеdit largеly pеrcеivеd thеir incomе lеvеls to havе risеn and wеrе thus ablе to accеss basic needs such as food, shеltеr, hеalth facilitiеs; they were also able to providе for their children’s еducation, partook in housеhold dеcision making and engaged in social еvеnts. It is recommended that effort be made to promote greater access to credit through MFIs establishment of agencies closer to their clients, or sending out agents to the field to bridge proximity gaps.
Addressing Domestic Violence Cases in Ghana: A Study of the Practice Methodologies of Accra Regional Dovvsu
(University of Ghana, 2012-06) Agbitor, K.; Manful, E.S.
This thesis sought to investigate the Practice Methodologies of Accra Regional DOVVSU in Addressing Domestic Violence Cases. This was done through examining the procedures used in handling reported cases at the Unit, extent to which the Unit meets the needs of victims of domestic violence who are clients, skills/ training/capacity building/enhancement programmes for the Unit’s personnel and factors affecting the quality of service delivery of the Unit. The thesis adopted qualitative case study method: purposively selected respondents, key informant interviews for personnel, in-depth (informal) interviews for clients and direct observations, to gather data. The results revealed the use of untailored procedures in handling reported cases; multiple interviews that add to trauma of clients; breach of confidentiality of clients information; interviewing child victims of violence in the presence of parents; negligible extent of meeting psychosocial needs of victims; poor skills and training programmes and problems with funding, logistics/ infrastructure, lack of legislative instrument on the DV Act, unmet needs of clients, cultural and religious beliefs, system delays, limited human resource and ignorance of the domestic violence law as among the main factors affecting the quality of service delivery of the Unit.
African Cultural Values and Personality Factors among Rural and Urban Dwellers in Ghana
(University of Ghana, 2015-07) Sarfo, E. A.; Mate-Kole, C.C; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology
The present study investigated factors and values that influence the development of personality in the Akan concept, the extent to which the Akan theory of day name determines personality of an individual. In addition, it sought to determine the relationship between the Big Five personality factors, the Africentric worldview and the Akan personality factors. The study is a mixed methods design. The first part is a qualitative study that involves an in-depth interview with eight participants with age range between 40 and 100 years. The second part, is a quantitative study where questionnaires were administered to one hundred conveniently sampled participants from two Akan communities comprising 60 rural and 40 urban dwellers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data which revealed that personality among the Akan is defined by the cognitive (‘nusu1’) and behavioural (‘banb4’) aspect of the individual. Factors believed to affect personality include social, biological and supernatural factors. Results from the qualitative data was used to develop a questionnaire used to test the personality of participants from rural and urban areas. The Ten Item Personality Inventory adapted from the Big-Five was administered was used to test the Big Five personality index among participants. Africentric Worldview Scale was used to test the Africentric worldview of participants. Overall, there was significant difference on the emotional stability subscale of the Ten Item Personality Inventory. A principal component analysis of the Africentric Worldview Scale confirmed the spiritual subscale. Further, other factors emerged in contrast to previous findings. Implications of the findings was discussed.
Africentric Coping, Adjustment and Quality Of Life among Breast Cancer Patients
(University Of Ghana, 2015-07) Appiah-Danquah, R
The objective of the study was to examine Africentric coping, adjustment and quality of life among breast cancer patients. The study recruited 200 breast cancer patients using the purposive and convenience sampling methods. Participants were administered tests assessing coping, adjustment, quality of life and psychopathological symptoms. The findings revealed that breast cancer patients use cognitive methods in coping with breast cancer. However, the results showed that breast cancer patients expressed feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. The feelings of hopelessness and helplessness were associated with low quality of life and a high prevalence of psychopathological symptoms among the patients. Additionally, the stage of breast cancer were observed to have a significant influence on quality of life, adjustment and coping. A significant positive relationship was found between age of patients and the degree of psychological distress. A significant negative relationship was found between duration of illness and quality of life among breast cancer patients. In summary, this study found that most breast cancer patients used maladaptive strategies in adjusting to the condition. As a result they experienced low quality of life and an increased predisposition to psychological distress. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Ageing and Chronic Diseases in Ghana: The Case of Akim Oda
(University of Ghana, 2018-10) Asante, K.B.
The study explored the issue of ageing and chronic diseases by looking at the types of chronic diseases, contributing factors, challenges and coping strategies of the elderly. The elderly are among the groups most vulnerable to chronic disease worldwide. The prevalence and associated risk factors for these chronic diseases have been observed to have increased over time in Ghana, including Akim Oda. The views and opinions of 19 elderly persons between the ages of 60 and 90 years receiving treatment from Akim Oda Government Hospital were solicited with four key informants. Data was collected through in-depth interview and analysed following Attride-Stirling’s (2001) thematic analysis using NVivo 11. Four main types of chronic diseases identified in the study were hypertension, diabetes, stroke and AIDS. According to study participants’ understanding, chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and stroke are caused by excessive alcohol consumption, physical in activity, and emotional, psychological or stress-related trauma. The findings further revealed that challenges encountered by the elderly living with chronic diseases include high cost of health care. Other challenges include social challenges such as loss of vision, limited mobility, sexual weakness and inability to shoulder responsibility. The findings also revealed challenges such as neglect by family members and delay in reporting to hospital. This study concludes that the elderly in Akim Oda employ the use of the media(listening to preaching, watching children programmes), change in lifestyle behaviour(adhering to prescribed medication and food), and drawing on faith and the support of spouses, siblings and children as strategies to cope with the biographical disruptions they experience. This study concludes that there are different biographical disruption experiences among the elderly in Akim Oda and the precise impacts of these experiences on the lives of the elderly influences the kind of strategies they adopt to manage their health, social and economic conditions. Social workers are to encourage individuals to save during their youthful years and to maintain healthy family ties.
Ageing in Contemporary Ghana: A Case Study of the Awutu Breku District
(University Of Ghana, 2018-06) Saa, V.Y.
Ageing in contemporary Ghana is not only an interesting research area but necessarily resonates with every human being. This is particularly so because ageing is a universal, inevitable and observable human occurrence. The concept of ageing and its dynamics react to changing circumstances in society. Research points to the fact that changing demographics impact on socio-economic situations and necessarily on different classes of society including the aged. International and national statistics portray an increasing proportion of the aged globally and Ghana in particular. Existing literature have examined various aspects of the subject matter. However, they hardly considered the multifaceted needs of older Ghanaians by examining the impact of social change especially on family structure on care giving patterns and the resultant changes in the lives of the elderly. This study, therefore, sought to fill this gap by exploring and documenting the lived- experiences, factors that enhanced sense of belonging and the support systems for the aged. In general, the study focused on identifying the challenges associated with ageing in contemporary Ghana. For practical purposes, a case study method was adopted to unearth the objectives of the study in Awutu Breku District of the Central Region of Ghana. Among other key findings, the study confirmed an increasing population of the aged, weakened informal support system and a limited formal support system, evidencing a gap in elderly welfare in Ghana. The data revealed that people understood ageing from biological, social and psychological perspectives. On the issue of sense of belonging of the aged, it was confirmed that the aged who maintained attachment with their families, participated in their community activities and belonged to other associations had a better sense of belonging compared with their colleagues who did not. The study sets a good foundation for examining the multifaceted needs of older Ghanaians within the context of social change.
Alcohol-Use At The Workplace: The Case Of Police Divisions Operating Under The Accra Regional Command Of The Ghana Police Service
(University of Ghana, 2016-06) Agboh, H.N.K.
Introduction –Alcohol-use at the workplace has been on the increase in recent times. Due in part to certain operational and functional demands at the workplace, employees of various organizations, including the police force have resorted to drinking alcohol before, during and after work, with dare ramifications on both the organization as a corporate body and the employees‘ physical, social and psychological health as individuals. Method - A cross sectional survey design involving self-completed questionnaires administered from November, 2015 to February, 2016 was use to collect data from three police divisions operating under the Accra Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service. A total of 200 surveys were successfully retuned and used for analysis. Data entry and analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS Version 20) and Microsoft Excel 2010. Linear Regression Analyses was then used to test for hypotheses, with P < 0.05 denoting the statistical significance. Results -The study revealed a high prevalence of alcohol use in the study population, with officers who are married, parents and the male recording a higher intake of alcohol. The study exposed the ignorance of the police about the usefulness of substance abuse programs; and considered operational and functional demands at the workplace, including influence from colleagues‘ behaviours, as some of the causes of alcohol use at the workplace. Some of the effects recorded include low productivity, recklessness, medical conditions/hangover, misconducts, etc. Conclusion - There is the need for an effective substance abuse program distributed across every police station in Ghana, and managed by trained Social Workers to help officers who drink alcohol or at risk of drinking. In this case, police officers who drink would not be treated as offenders, but as people with respect and dignity who needed professional help in order to function again.
Antenatal Care, Experiences and Views of Pregnant Women and their Health Care Providers in Duayaw-Nkwanta (2)
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Gyameraa, D.N.A.
This study explored the experiences of pregnant women seeking facility-based antenatal care in Duayaw- Nkwanta and sought for the views of their health care providers. The objectives that guided the study were to explore the knowledge and perceptions of pregnant women and their health care providers in Duayaw-Nkwanta about antenatal care, ascertain the reasons why pregnant women seek antenatal care in Duayaw-Nkwanta, find out the challenges pregnant women and their health care providers face while providing or seeking antenatal care, and to find out what strategies pregnant women and their health care providers in Duayaw-Nkwanta adopt in coping with challenges. Using a qualitative research design, twenty-one pregnant women between the ages of 18 and 49 years seeking antenatal care in Duayaw-Nkwanta, five midwives and four TBAs/Herbalists in Duayaw-Nkwanta were recruited for this study. The findings of this study revealed that two types of antenatal care services that were accessed by some of the pregnant women at Duayaw- Nkwanta were the hospital based and the traditional based antenatal services. Majority of participants generally perceived antenatal care services to be beneficial to mother and baby. Some of the reasons pointed out by pregnant women seeking antenatal care at Duayaw-Nkwanta were to prevent health complications, their ability to ask questions and prayers. In addition, challenges encountered by some pregnant women seeking antenatal care as well as midwives and traditional birth attendants at Duayaw-Nkwanta were financial, facility based and spiritual challenges. Pregnant women seeking antenatal care expressed that in the midst of challenges, they resorted to getting a quiet place to rest, family support and prayers as ways to cope with challenges
Assessing Clients’ Satisfaction With Mental Healthcare Services in Accra, Ghana.
(University Of Ghana, 2014-07) Yakubu, D
This study examined clients’ satisfaction with mental healthcare services in Accra by sampling 205 adult mental health patients from the Pantang and Accra Psychiatric hospitals as its participants. The study adopted cross-sectional survey method and used systematic sampling techniques to administer a modified version of the Patients Satisfaction Questionnaire-18 by Marshall and Hays (1994), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support by Zimet et al. (1988), the Satisfaction with Life Scale by Diener et al. (1985) and a modified version of the WHO Encounter Form. The research data were analysed using Multivariate Analysis of variance, independent t-test, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses. Results from the study showed no significant satisfactions difference between outpatients and inpatients but female patients were significantly more satisfied with mental healthcare services across all the domains of satisfaction than male patients. Similarly, significant positive linear relationships were observed among clients’ satisfaction, perceived social support and satisfaction with other life domains. Both perceived social support and satisfaction with other life domains significantly predicted patients’ satisfaction with mental healthcare services with perceived social support accounting for more of the satisfaction variance. Clients’ demographic characteristics age, sex and level of education also significantly predicted satisfaction with services. As a recommendation, clinicians should actively involve trusted relatives and friends of patients in the treatment process. Their involvement has the potential to increase patients’ perceived social support and satisfaction with other aspects of life which will in turn improve satisfaction with services and mental healthcare outcomes
Assessing Existing Water Demand and Supply Patterns and Reuse Options as Additional Sources of Water in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA)
(University of Ghana, 2013-06) Abbey, F.M.; Songsore, J.; Teye, J.
Attempts at addressing the increasing water shortage problems in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) over the years have been biased towards supply management without critically assessing the efficiency of water use from existing schemes of demand management. This study sought to assess the current water demand and supply patterns, and how this affects wastewater reuse options. It investigated whether socio-economic status as well as status of household water supply in different income groups in the GAMA, specifically in East Legon, Dansoman Estates, Ashale Botwe and Teshie influenced wastewater reuse. Based on available data from Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), the demand for water in 2010 for GAMA was calculated to be 469,171.68m 3 /day with a corresponding supply through its current rationing programme as 404,841.00m 3 /day. There was therefore a considerable deficit of 64,330.68m 3 /day justifying analysis of coping mechanisms among residents. Based on data collected using the mixed method mode of data collection, it is concluded that respondents resorted to various coping mechanisms such as rain harvesting, borehole water use, tanker and vendor services. Tanker service was most preferred by residents, because it was considered reliable even though expensive. Rain harvesting was considered cheapest but unreliable. Questionnaire responses among a total sample of purposely-selected 240 respondents in four study localities indicated 80% usage. Of the 20% who were not reusing, 73.2% w e r e w i l l i n g t o r e u s e wastewater. It was further observed that the use of wastewater depend on income level and status of water supply. Further analysis of field data revealed that wastewater was a cheap source, more readily available and suitable for non-potable uses only. Nonetheless, wastewater reuse as a coping mechanism in the phase of increasing water demand by the rapidly increasing urban population in the GAMA should not be developed at the national level but at the individual and community levels with appropriate government support. The study concluded that if this potential demand management measure of wastewater reuse is properly advocated and implemented, Ghana would be in a good position to ultimately achieve her Millennium Goal 7 of ensuring environmental sustainability on time. The study strongly recommends that to address the problem in a holistic manner, all aspects of water demand, supply and coping mechanisms should be tackled to ultimately benefit all stakeholders.
Assessing Flooding Experiences in the Ga South Municipality Using the Complexity Theory
(University of Ghana, 2017-07) Tetteh, G.
The current state-of-the-art in flood persistence and damage analysis mainly focuses on the economic evaluation of tangible flood effects, although prior studies have revealed that geo-hazards such as flooding have multiple causal agents. Thus, most flood protection policies have been technically focussed, at the expense of equally important social causal factors. This thesis contends that for a long time, socio-cultural aspects of flood-related vulnerabilities have been neglected. Nonetheless, studies have evidently highlighted the heterogeneity and interwoven nature of flooding agents, most of which have gained in importance due to expansive land use, rising damage potentials in floodplain areas, and increasing conflicts between socio-economic land use and flood protection. Borrowing from the complexity theory, the study questions the role of anthropogenic factors in explaining flood-risk vulnerabilities and experiences, and questions whether these factors represent a general tendency that might provide a dialectical basis for building community resilience, with a focus on Ga South Municipality as an exemplary case study. Given the widely-acknowledged flooding crisis in the study area and the commodification of land and property markets more generally, the urgency of addressing this issue is self-evident. The research adopts a case-study design approach, with mixed methods to address the lacunae. The findings reveal that both natural and anthropogenic factors are implicit in flood experiences, albeit the greatest culprits are the human-induced agents which have led to the siltation of the Densu River. These findings affirm the prevalence of contemporary urban land use (mis)management and the need for a commensurate political space for policy discourse, and they will enable and empower local authorities to hold public officers responsible for their actions and inactions—particularly regarding the enforcement of legislation in ecologically sensitive zones, including the Weija Dam green belt zone—to enhance the actual or the real resilience levels of flood victims.
Assessing Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Keta Municipality of Ghana Using Remote Sensing
(University of Ghana, 2019-10) Peters, M.K.
Coastal areas around the world are increasingly facing devastating disasters due to land use and land cover changes. Same can be said of Keta Municipality which experiences series of challenges such as unplanned urbanisation, intensive agriculture, flooding and coastal erosions. To design better solutions to these recurring problems, there is the need to understand the landscape and its interaction with its inhabitants. To achieve this, this study employed remote sensing techniques by acquiring historically sensed data of 1991, 2005 and 2018. The focus of the study was to determine the various land use and land cover types that exist in the study area and also examine the changes that have occurred over the years. The study established that the Keta Lagoon remained the most dominant land cover from 1991 to 2018 occupying 267.5km2 and 282.01km2 respectively. Wetlands which are known to be flood protection agents have however reduced from 182.33 km2 to 135.11 km2 from 1991 to 2018. Agricultural activities have been on the rise in the Municipality and is evident in the surface area farmlands covered by the year 2018. This rise may be understood to keep up with the population growth in the municipality. However, the conversion of wetland areas into agricultural lands has exposed human settlements to issues such as floods and coastal erosions. In view of these revelations, there is the need for intensification of education on the benefits of wetlands in the protection of lives and properties in the area. In the short term, farming activities need to be regularised by the local government so that wetlands will be allowed to regenerate.
Assessing Social Cohesion And Resilience Of Coastal Communities Affected By Tidal Wave Related Disasters In The Volta Region
(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Kwabla, D.E.
The insurgency of natural hazards as a result of climate change in recent times are causing havoc in vulnerable communities thus became a major source of disasters across the globe. In coastal communities, tidal-wave hazards in particular are the major causes of disasters, resulting in the loss of living/ habitat space, destruction of infrastructure, and loss of economic livelihoods among others. This study focused on the assessment of social cohesion and community disaster resilience in some selected tidal-wave affected coastal communities in the Volta Region of Ghana. Questionnaire administration was combined with focus group discussion to collect data in each study community. The Burkner’s Index of Cohesion (BIC) and Index of Perceived Community Resilience (IPCR) were used to evaluate social cohesion and resilience of study communities respectively. Analysis of the data was done using descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA to determine the significant differences in the intensity of BIC and IPCR between the communities whiles the FEMA model (figure 1) was used as temporal reference point to analyze the recovery cycle of communities that have experienced disaster at different time period and places. Effective usage of social networks, the practice of neighborliness and social solidarity among community members were observed to be the major attributes to the moderate level of social cohesion experienced in the various study communities. As a result, resilience was found to be positive in each of the study communities but not adequate enough to build back better within the shortest possible time without a major external support. The study also identifies some key indicators relative to each study community that need to be improved upon in practical terms to enhance the community’s social cohesion aspirations in other to help build a stronger disaster resilience in rural poor communities across the diaspora.
Assessing the Contribution of Internally Generated Funds to Community Development in the Ga East Municipal Assembly: A Case Study of Abokobi
(University of Ghana, 2014-12) Armah, A.A; Quartey, P.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, Department of Geography and Resource Development
Internally Generated Funds (IGFs) are the most reliable source of funds for MMDAs, due to the unpredictable nature of other sources. IGFs however have several functions including helping to support the financing of projects for the Municipality. Despite these functions, it also faces challenges in respect to disbursement and mobilization. The aim of this study therefore is to assess the contribution of IGFs to community development in Abokobi, despite the existence of some challenges. Thus, the survey assesses how IGFs are utilized, it also examines the extent to which members are involved in the allocation of IGFs for community development and finally the trickling down effect of the benefits of selected community projects on the well-being of community members. The level of knowledge of tax usage was low. Community members had little and conflicting information about what their taxes were used for. The study had several convincing reasons on the need to involve the community in the Assembly’s activities especially activities channeled towards planning. For instance 80% of the respondents do not perceive that their contributions will be included in the planning process of the Assembly, hence the above discourse. The study concludes by recommending steps such as education of the community on taxes and their usage and the adoption of measures such as the effective use of the Unit Committee by the Assembly to effectively involve the community in their activities.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Agricultural Households’ Strategies for Sustainable Adaptation to Climate Change in the Sissala East District
(University of Ghana, 2016-02) Dimmie, B. Y.; Yaro, J. A.; Teye, J.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, Department of Geography and Resource Development
Effective adaptation to climate change provides the means through which agricultural households reduce the vulnerability of their livelihood to the impacts of climatic hazards. Effective strategies reduce the adverse impacts of fluctuations and changes in climatic variables on households’ livelihood leading to the achievement of their livelihood targets whiles maintaining the quality of the environment. Agricultural households in Sissala area have devised their own mechanisms for effectively adapting their livelihood activities to climate change which have been outlined by various studies in the area. However, there have been debates about whether some of these mechanisms are effective in reducing the impacts of climatic hazards especially drought and floods and meeting the food security and increased crop and income targets of households. This study sets out to assess the effectiveness of households’ strategies in reducing impacts and meeting their targets using multi-methods. Focus group discussions, individual interviews and questionnaires were used in this study. SPSS version 16.0 and STATA Software for Binary regression analysis were used for analysis. The main climatic impacts and threats identified in the area include: droughts, floods, rainstorm and the incidence of pests and diseases which destroy crops, public infrastructure, private properties and loss of farmlands. Farmers have knowledge of climate change through local experience and awareness creation via radio and mobile phones. The main adaptation strategies of farmers include: crop diversification, the use of weedicides/pesticides and chemical fertilizer, changing consumption, land rotation, tillage practices, changing planting dates, irrigation, harvesting of rain water, and migration to urban areas, the use of compost/manure, and cultivation of cover crops. Due to the need to pay for social services, farming households’ objectives have shifted from achieving food security to enhancing family income. Location factors and characteristics of households influence the adaptive capacities of farmers. Also the success of adaptation strategies adopted depend on wealth of the farmer, gender, experience and the ecological conditions of the community where farms are located. The use of weedicides, tillage practices and chemical fertilizer were found to be more effective for non-poor and rich farmers and experienced farmers than poor and inexperienced farmers and also more effective among farmers in Wellembelle than their counterparts in Sakai. Changing consumption and the cultivation of cover crops was common among poor and older farmers. It was however revealed that, if care is not taken, the unintended effects of some of these strategies could lead to maladaptation in the long-run. The use and misuse of weedicides has taken a toll on livestock population and exacerbating inequalities between livestock and crop producers. Again, the use of wood for fencing gardens in irrigation areas on annual basis could lead to deforestation in the area. Also, environmentally friendly strategies such as the use of compost/manure are poorly patronized. The effectiveness of land rotation is waning due to social change processes
Assessing the Effects of Electoral Reforms in Ghana: The Case of Biometric Voter Registration and Verification
(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Adjei, B.A.
Ghana returned to constitutional rule in 1993 and has made tremendous strides in its democracy. This has won the country international acclaim. The country has often been described as the beacon of democracy in the West African sub-region. This has been made possible with the smooth conduct of peaceful elections coupled with electoral reforms. The adoption of these electoral reforms has gone on to ensure a relative sense of electoral integrity albeit with challenges particularly in the 2008 and 2012 general elections. This study sought to examine the effects of the 2012 and 2016 biometric voter registration and verification system introduced into Ghanaian elections as a mechanism against multiple voting, multiple registrations, unqualified voter registrations and voting and other electoral irregularities that plagued elections in the past. The study adopted the mixed method approaches to gather data for this research. The study found that, the integration of biometric technologies into Ghana’s electoral process have substantially reduced multiple voting and voter impersonation; checked against multiple registrations, ballot stuffing, carousel voting, and over voting; and consequently helped enhanced electoral credibility and trust among electoral stakeholders’ particularly political parties. The study also shows that the current biometric system is unable to detect and prevent registration by minors and foreigners, and also have verification challenges particularly among pregnant women. It is therefore recommended that the biometric voter registration and verification system for now should be well consolidated and used in future elections.

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