Book Chapters

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Book Chapters: A scholarly introduction of chapter length to an edited volume, where the content of the introduction reports research and makes a substantial contribution to a defined area of knowledge. On the other hand, Review books or articles provide a critical and constructive analysis of existing published literature in a field, through summary, analysis, and comparison, often identifying specific gaps or problems and providing recommendations for future research. These are considered as secondary literature since they generally do not present new data from the author's experimental work. Review articles can be of three types, broadly speaking: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses.

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2023: International Student Employability: Narratives of Strengths, Challenges, and Strategies from Global South Students
(Springer, 2022) Boafo-Arthur, S.; Attah, D.; Boafo-Arthur, A.; Tsevi, L.
Studying abroad is seen as a very beneficial aspect of any study experience. And in some countries or cultures, it is expected to be a part of the path carved by any serious potential academician. With studying abroad, and the expectations of being highly employable post one's graduation, it can be quite a disappointment should one's expectations of employability, and the job market not match the reality of employment within the country of origin, or the country of sojourn. This chapter intends to examine the expectations individuals have prior to graduation, the discrepancy between that and the reality of the job market, and tentative solutions to the challenges faced. Narratives from current and former international students/study "abroaders" will be included to depict the actual experiences of these individuals and how their experiences connect to the broader issue under discussion.
A (Re)turn to Older Conversations in African Studies
(African Studies Review, 2021) Darkwah, A.K.; Lawrance, B.N.
In an interdisciplinary journal such as the African Studies Review, we are all enriched by the unique perspectives that writers from different disciplines bring to the table. Historians, political scientists, economists, literary scholars, and sociologists can draw on their disciplinary perspectives as well as on the perspectives of other disciplines to gain insights into the continent, and we all are better off for it. What do we do, though, with disciplines that are considered ill-fitting for a study of Africa? Fifty years ago, the South African anthropologist Archie Mafeje remarked about how historically, on the continent, sociology had been viewed as a discipline best suited to making sense of the civilized European settler communities in the eastern and southern parts of the continent, while the rest of Africa could be left to anthropologists to study. He expressed the belief that these African sites, conceptualized as static and non-modernizing, lent themselves better to a discipline that had been developed to study the Other than one developed to study the metropole. Concepts such as modernity, civilization, and knowledge, as developed by sociologists, were perceived at the time as inappropriate for describing Africa, hence the decision to leave the study of the continent to those who worked with concepts such as kinship, “tribes,” and witchcraft beliefs. No wonder, then, that the early academics in many departments of sociology on the continent such as Kofi Abrefa Busia, Godwin Nukunya, and Max Assimeng, all of whom taught in the Department of Sociology at the University of Ghana in its early years, were trained primarily in the United Kingdom as social anthropologists. Even today, there are many more African and Africanist anthropologists than there are sociol ogists.
A cross-sectional study of knowledge and awareness of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a student population in Ghana: do demographics and lifestyle make a difference
(Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 2019) Amankwah-Poku, M.
Objective: To determine the level of knowledge and awareness of type 2 diabetes among undergraduate students and to investigate demographic and lifestyle variables associated with students’ level of knowledge and awareness. Design: Students from the University of Ghana (n = 726) were administered questionnaires to assess their knowledge and awareness of specific aspects of type 2 diabetes, namely, symptoms, treatment, and complications of the illness. Main Outcome Measures: Level of type 2 diabetes knowledge and awareness. Results: Knowledge and awareness were higher for diabetes treatment (then for diabetes symptoms and complications), with females have more knowledge and awareness than males. Significant differences were also found in the level of knowledge and awareness of students based on their discipline of study but not the number of years of study in the university. Also, students who engaged in physical exercise showed a higher level of general knowledge and awareness of type 2 diabetes. Finally, a family history of diabetes resulted in more knowledge and awareness of type 2 diabetes. Conclusions: Education in type 2 diabetes is needed to make individuals more aware of the illness and take preventive measures. The fact that the participants’ discipline of study produced differences in diabetes knowledge and awareness, suggest how education can make a difference in creating awareness.
The absence of social capital and the failure of the Ghanian neoliberal mental model
(Neoliberalism: National and Regional Experiments with Global Ideas, 2006-12) Amponsah, N.; Denzau, A.T.; Roy, R.K.
In the 1980s, Ghana sought to institute market liberalization reforms based on policy prescriptions outlined by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank known as Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs). SAPs were designed in accordance with a neoliberal framework known as the Washington Consensus (WC). The WC, a strand of the neoliberal shared mental model that was ﬁrst coined by John Williamson, articulated a set of market-oriented policy prescriptions and goals that if pursued faithfully, would help encourage countries on the path to greater economic performance and prosperity. Such prescriptions included instructing governments to pursue policies and strategies aimed at promoting ﬁscal discipline, interest rate liberalization, privatization, deregulation of entrance and exit barriers, and establishing transparent and public-seeking institutions that are established to enforce and abide by a rule of law that would secure property rights and discourage predatory rent-seeking practices.
Access Barriers Encountered By Persons With Mobility Disabilities In Accra, Ghana
(Journal of Social Inclusion, 2019) Naami, A.
The environment is a critical factor for participation for everyone. The need for accessible transportation and a built environment for persons with disabilities to enjoy their basic human rights and fundamental freedoms cannot be overemphasized. This study sought to understand the daily experiences of persons with mobility disabilities with physical and transportation barriers in Accra-Ghana. Photovoice methodology was used to enable participants to tell their stories about access barriers that they encountered daily. A total of 153 pictures remained, out of 431, after the final selection of pictures that best communicated participants’ experiences with accessibility. These pictures were accompanied by 95 narratives corresponding to the content of the pictures as well as the messages that the participants sought to communicate. The pictures were taken from 11 different physical and transportation environments. Evidence from the study demonstrates the existence of barriers in the built environment and transportation, which impact negatively on the psychological and social lives of persons with mobility disabilities. The need for the removal of identified barriers to empowering persons with disabilities for sustainable development cannot be overemphasized. The paper, therefore, concludes with recommendations targeting the government, social workers, and disability activists about strategies to improve access to participation for persons with mobility disabilities.
Adolescent sexuality and reproductive health in Ghana: Some results from a survey of Cape Coast And Mankrong
(Population, Health and Development in Ghana: Attaining the Millennium Development Goals, 2007) Kwankye, S.O.
4 Chapter Adolescent Sexuality and Reproductive Health in Ghana: Some Results from a Survey of Cape Coast and Mankrong Stephen O. Kwankye Introduction Adolescent sexuality and reproductive health issues are increasingly becoming of concern in many sub-Saharan African countries. This is especially the case when viewed in the context of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, a situation , which puts many young persons particularly females at risk. This constitutes a serious problem considering that most of these sexual activities are taking place outside wedlock and without contraception. As a result, teenage pregnancies and their accompanying child delinquency and poor development of female adolescent victims are unfolding problems that Ghana will have to contend with for a long time. One fundamental barrier that has worked seriously against policies that have aimed at addressing adolescent sexuality problems in Ghana has been the sociocultural environment within which the interventions are being evolved and or implemented. In Ghana, it is felt in many circles that it is culturally unwelcome to discuss sexual issues with adolescents. Again, sections of the society and even some family planning service providers frown upon the provision of family planning services to these youngsters. For example, according to the 1994 Situation Analysis of Family Planning Service Delivery Points in Ghana, 40% of service providers expressed their unwillingness to provide family planning services such as intra-uterine device (IUD) and injectables to unmarried adolescents and 25% of them would not administer the pill under the same conditions (Ghana Statistical Service, 1994). Such an unfriendly socio-cultural environment has often overtly or covertly not permitted open and frank discussions regarding issues of sexuality and reproductive health particularly among adolescents. Thus, as a result of their engagement in unprotected sex, the chances of further enhancement of their socio-economic development are often and largely foreclosed due to unplanned pregnancies and, or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS. In Ghana, the three Demographic and Health Survey reports of 1993, 1998 and 2003 have indicated that overall a little more than one in every 10 female adolescents of 15-19 years have begun childbearing at a time they are expected to be in school (GSS and MI, 1994; 1999; 2004). The conditions are again made fertile for criminal abortion to thrive in Ghana. Data are not readily available on abortion in Ghana, but in a society where adolescents are largely indulging in sex with little or no family planning practices, the probability exists for pregnant adolescents who still want to continue their education to resort to induced, and unsafe abortion which is likely to contribute to high maternal mortality ratios in Ghana. Data on reported AIDS cases in Ghana suggest that a higher proportion of HIV contraction takes place during adolescent ages of 15-19 years. For example, available data on reported AIDS cases by age indicate that for both males and females, almost 75% of the cases were reported among persons aged 20-39 years and 4% among ado54 POPULATION, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT lescents aged 15-19 years. The inference is that considering that the incubation period of the disease ranges between 5 and 12 years or more, it is possible that many of the reported cases in the age group 20-39 must have been contracted within adolescent ages. Adolescent childbearing rates in Ghana have been found to be highest in the Central Region in 1993 (33.3%) and 2003 (34.1%) (see GDHS reports of 1993 and 2003). At the same time, the region has been shown to have one of the highest levels of poverty in the country in 1998/1999 (Government of Ghana/UNFPA, 2004). Linked to the high sexual activity among young women is their low contraceptive use. For example, current contraceptive use for modern methods in 1993 was 5.0% and 8.3% among women of 15-19 and 20-24 years respectively compared to 9.3% among all women in Ghana (Ghana Statistical Service, 1994). The corresponding figures for 1998 were 4.8% and 10.4% among women of 15-19 and 20-24 years respectively as against 10.7% among all women in Ghana. In 2003, modern contraceptive use was 6.4% and 15.4% among married females of 15-19 and 20-24 years respectively compared to 20.7% among all women in the country. The implication is that low contraceptive use among adolescent and young women may foreclose education and employment opportunities to many of them as they expose themselves to risks of unplanned...
Africa after gender?
(Indiana University Press, 2007-07) Miescher, S.F.; Manuh, T.; Cole, C.M.
Gender is one of the most productive, dynamic, and vibrant areas of Africanist research today. But what is the meaning of gender in an African context? Why does gender usually connote women? Why has gender taken hold in Africa when feminism hasn't? Is gender yet another Western construct that has been applied to Africa however ill-suited and riddled with assumptions? Africa After Gender? looks at Africa now that gender has come into play to consider how the continent, its people, and the term itself have changed. Leading Africanist historians, anthropologists, literary critics, and political scientists move past simple dichotomies, entrenched debates, and polarizing identity politics to present an evolving discourse of gender. They show gender as an applied rather than theoretical tool and discuss themes such as the performance of sexuality, lesbianism, women's political mobilization, the work of gendered NGOs, and the role of masculinity in a gendered world. For activists, students, and scholars, this book reveals a rich and cross-disciplinary view of the status of gender in Africa today. © 2007 by Indiana University Press. All rights reserved.
African mothers: A case study of northern Ghanaian women
(Africa in the 21st Century: Toward a New Future, 2007-11) Dove, N.
Like their ancestors before them and the generations to come, African Mothers including Diasporan sisters, wherever their location, will either help to betray or redeem Africa knowingly or unknowingly. The ability of Mothers to make any conscious decision in this regard is tempered by the impact of European and Arab cultural imperialism, materially, mentally and spiritually. Two significant groups of Mothers who hold allegiance to their ancestors are identified. One group includes sisters of the diaspora, living outside Africa, some of whose ancestors have not lived in Africa for centuries. Their consciousness has grown from the cultural remnants of their historical legacy as descendents who arrived in Europe and the Americas at different times for different reasons ranging from enslavement and refugeeism to finding work. The other group of Mothers are indigenous to Africa practicing Traditional values and beliefs that have been handed down for millennia under continuous unbroken assault.
Ageing in Ghana: A Public Health and Cultural Perspective
(Ageing, Physical Activity and Health: International Perspectives, 2018-03) Badasu, D.M.; Aryeetey, R.; Bitugu, B.B.; Ocansey, R.
This chapter discusses the current situation of aging in Ghana from a cultural and public health perspective. There are traditionally established norms by which aging is integrated into societal living. However, due to the processes of modernization, particularly increasing urbanization and migration, these norms are being transformed rapidly in such a way that the traditional safety nets have come under severe stress. Emerging formal care systems are, therefore, expected to complement the traditional debilitated norms. However, these formal care systems are still a long way off from adequately supporting the huge unmet need for care of the elderly, especially in urban settings. Gender differences as well as local cultural norms are taken into consideration for the proposal of options and programs to adequately address the needs of the elderly and support them in their aging process, including physical activity. In the absence of structured interventions, volunteer and club activities can be promoted to keep the elderly in an active lifestyle. © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Karin Volkwein-Caplan and Jasmin Tahmaseb McConatha.
Agricultural diversification, food self-sufficiency and food security in ghana-the role of infrastructure and institutions
(African Smallholders: Food Crops, Markets and Policy, 2013-01) Dzanku, F.M.; Sarpong, D.
Food self-sufficiency has been an important policy objective of many nations, including Ghana. Its importance as a policy priority has diminished over time, as food security became a more appealing policy orientation. Self-sufficiency suggests that a nation produces at least all its food needs, while food security implies the availability and physical access to food by the population, irrespec- tive of whether or not it is produced within the country (Thomson and Metz, 1998). At the household level, economic rationality suggests that resources should be allocated optimally to the production of commodities for which returns are highest. Income generated from trading these commodities could then be used to purchase other food needs. If agricultural diversification is defined as the increasing allocation of household resources to the production of non-staples relative to food staples, then households would diversify, given that the returns to land and labour are higher for the production of non-staples than for food staples (Fafchamps, 1992; von Braun, 1994; Goletti, 1999; Govereh and Jayne, 2003; Joshi et al., 2003; Weinberger and Lumpkin, 2007; Shome, 2009). But it is documented that many farm households, particularly in sub- Saharan Africa (SSA), are subsistent or semi-subsistent producers, which implies an inclination towards self-sufficiency in food production (de Janvry et al., 1991; Finkelshtain and Chalfant, 1991; Fafchamps, 1992; Jayne, 1994; von Braun, 1994, 1995; Govereh and Jayne, 2003; Di Falco and Chavas, 2009).
Alcohol consumption and fruits and vegetable intake among older adults in Ghana: a cross-sectional survey based on WHO-SAGE Wave 2 data
(BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, 2020) Tachi, K.; Tetteh, J.; Archampong, T.; et.al
Background Alcohol consumption and inadequate fruits and vegetable (FnV) intake are major reasons for the shift from communicable to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) over the years. The older Ghanaian adult is at high risk of NCD and data on alcohol and FnV consumption are required to guide policy to mitigate its effect. This analysis aimed to determine the factors associated with alcohol consumption and assess the relationship between alcohol consumption and FnV intake among Ghanaians aged 50 years and older. Methods This analysis used WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) Wave 2, Ghana data set conducted between 2014 and 2015. Data on demographic characteristics, FnV intake, and alcohol consumption were collated and analysed. Multivariable Poisson, logistic and probit regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between alcohol consumption and inadequate FnV intake. Results A total of 3533 Ghanaians aged 50 years and older, 41.0% men and 59.0% women, were included in this study. The prevalence of lifetime alcohol consumption was 22.8% (95% CI 20.7% to 25.1%). Alcohol consumption was significantly associated with sex, age group, marital status, religion, place of residence and history of smoking. The prevalence of adequate FnV intake was 52.6% with a mean daily intake of 6.45 servings: 2.98 for fruits and 3.47 for vegetables. There was a significant positive correlation between inadequate FnV intake and alcohol consumption. Inadequate FnV consumption was significantly higher among lifetime alcohol consumers compared with non alcohol consumers. (Poisson estimate; adjusted Prevalence Ratio (aPR) (95% CI)=1.35 (1.12 to 1.63), logistic estimate; adjusted Old Ratio (aOR) (95% CI)=1.13 (1.05 to 1.21) and probit estimate; adjusted normalized coefficient (aβ) (95% CI)=0.19 (0.07 to 0.31)) Conclusion About a quarter and nearly half of older Ghanaian adults consume alcohol and inadequate FnV, respectively. Alcohol consumption is significantly associated with inadequate FnV intake. Interventions to address inadequate FnV intake among older adults in Ghana should also include policies that regulate the use of alcohol in this population.
Ambiguous genitalia: clinical management of adult female with male assigned gender: a case report
(Journal of Medical Case Reports, 2021-07) Ali, M.A.; Donkor, Y.O.; Mensah, J.E.; Ayamba, M.
Background: Disorders of sex development are anomalies in which the development of urogenital ridge is undif‑ ferentiated for the male and female child. Imaging plays a vital role in investigating the gross anatomy and associated anomalies. Ultrasonography, such as genitography and magnetic resonance, is the primary modality for demonstrat‑ ing internal gonads and genitalia. Early multidisciplinary approach in the management of ambiguous genitalia includ‑ ing early surgical intervention is the predominant practice, with few current considerations on deferral of genital reconstruction until adolescent age. Case presentation: We report the rare case of a 24-year-old adult female from a majority ethnic group of the Volta region, Ghana who was diagnosed and raised as male, now requiring surgical restoration to the female gender. The surgical team decided to assign external genitalia to correspond with the already intact internal organs, thus con‑ structing the vulva. Consent was given by the client and her family members for management and surgical interven‑ tion. The surgery was scheduled and duly performed with a successful outcome. Understanding and consent was sought from the patient for the purpose of using her images for teaching, scientific publication, and demonstrations. Conclusion: The advantages of deferring surgical reconstruction with psychological counseling after early assessment need to be considered to prevent inappropriate gender assignment
An Absorptive Capacity Perspective of Organizational Learning Through Social Media: Evidence From the Ghanaian Fashion Industry
(IGI Global, 2018) Boateng, R.; Owusu-Bempah, E.; Ansong, E.
The Absorptive Capacity Theory was used as the theoretical lens for this study to help analyze how organizations absorb new knowledge using social media tools and applications. A survey of fashion designers and employees numbering 196 was carried out in 55 fashion firms whereas two fashion firms were used in a case study. Data analysis was performed using Structural Equation Modelling. The findings from the study suggest that Ghanaian fashion designers do not intensively use social media to assimilate knowledge but rather to acquire, transform, and exploit knowledge. The popular social media applications include; Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Facebook, for instance, is used daily by most Ghanaians.
An Empirical Assessment Of The Impact Of Access To Credit On Farm Output: A Case Study Of Sefwi-Wiawso Municipality Ghana
(Journal of Social Economics Research, 2019) Aduhene, D.T.; Boadu, S.; Obeng, E.
The study examined the socio-demographic features of farmers and credit accessibility in the Sefwi-Wiawso Municipality Ghana. It also identifies the sources and factors influencing access to credit in the Sefwi-Wiawso Municipality. Primary data were obtained from 1,200 households and farmers within the Sefwi-Wiawso Municipal. The empirical analysis employed a logistic regression technique, the Tobit model, and the Endogenous Switching Regression Model (ESRM) to explore the accessibility of credit on productivity in the agriculture sector. The results revealed that age and gender are statistically significant in determining access to credit from both the logit and the endogenous regression models. The endogenous switching regression model further reveals that educational status, land ownership, and access to knowledge on credit significantly influence the amount of credit received by a particular farmer within the Sefwi-Wiawso Municipality. These findings have practical implications for the modernization of the Agriculture sector in Ghana. It is therefore important for various stakeholders to increase financial literacy among farming communities and financial institutions to increase credit accessibility in the Agriculture sector. It is therefore recommended that extension services provision, diversification of agriculture production, and easy access to credit from financial institutions in the Municipality be established to ensure increased agriculture production.
Anatomy and blood supply of the urethra and penis
(Urethral Reconstructive Surgery, 2006-01) Quartey, J.K.M.
The penis is made up of three cylindrical erectile bodies. The pendulous anterior portion hangs from the lower anterior surface of the symphysis pubis. The two dorsolateral corpora cavernosa are fused together, with an incomplete septum dividing them. The third and smaller corpus spongiosum lies in the ventral groove between the corpora cavernosa, and is traversed by the centrally placed urethra. Its distal end is expanded into a conical glans, which is folded dorsally and proximally to cover the ends of the corpora cavernosa and ends in a prominent ridge, the corona. The corona passes laterally and then curves distally to meet in a V ventrally and anterior to the frenulum, a fold of skin just proximal to the external urethral meatus. The erectile tissue of the corpora cavernosa is made up of blood spaces lined by endothelium enclosed in a tough fibroelastic covering, the tunica albuginea. The corpus spongiosum is smaller with a much thinner tunica albuginea, and its erectile tissue surrounds the urethra. Proximally, at the base of the pendulous penis, the corpora cavernosa separate to become the crura, which are attached to the inferomedial margins of the pubic arch and adjoining inferior surface of the urogenital diaphragm. The corpus spongiosum becomes expanded into the bulb, which is adherent in the midline to the inferior surface of the urogenital diaphragm. This is the fixed part of the penis, and is known as the root of the penis. The urethra runs in the dorsal part of the bulb and makes an almost right-angled bend to pass superiorly through the urogenital diaphragm to become the membranous urethra.
Antiplasmodial Activity of Medicinal Plant Preparations T610 and S076 Using Plasmodium Falciparum in Vitro Culture System
(University of Ghana, 2001-08) Appiah-Opong, R.; Gyang, F.N.; Nyarko, A.K.; Dodoo, D.; University of Ghana, College of Humanities, School of Arts, Department of Philosophy and Classics
Some traditional medical practitioners use decoctions of the plants Tridax procumbens and Phyllanthus amarus, separately, to treat malaria in Ghana. These plants have however, not been investigated scientifically to establish their antimalarial activities. In this study, inhibition of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum uptake o f 3H-hypoxanthine was used as an in vitro assay to assess the antiplasmodial activities of aqueous, ethanolic, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts of Tridax procumbens and Phyllanthus amarus. Chloroquine was used as a reference antimalarial drug. Cytotoxicities of the extracts to red blood cells were also investigated. Furthermore, the aqueous extracts of the plants were evaluated for haem polymerisation inhibitory activity. The results show that high concentrations of chloroquine inhibited the uptake of 3Hhypoxanthine by Plasmodium falciparum, confirming the chloroquine-resistant nature of the parasites used. Both plant extracts also demonstrated antiplasmodial activity against the chloroquine resistant plasmodial parasites. Among the various extracts, the lowest 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 24.8 and 11.7 |ig/ml corresponded to the aqueous and ethanolic extracts, respectively, of Phyllanthus amarus. For Tridax procumbens, the lowest IC50 values were 225.0 and 143.4 |J.g/ml for the ethanolic and aqueous extracts, respectively. Unlike chloroquine, none of the extracts inhibited haem polymerisation. Within the concentration range used, the least cytotoxicity to RBCs was observed in the aqueous extracts of both plants, the ethanolic extract of Phyllanthus amarus and the ethyl acetate extract of Tridax procumbens. These results suggest that the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of both plants were more effective as antiplasmodial preparations than the other extracts.
Apprenticeship System of ''Wayside'' Seamstresses From Selected Neighborhoods in Accra.
(University of Ghana, 1997-10) Acquaah-Harrison, P.;
The purpose of this study was to investigate the apprenticeship system of fifty seamstresses and fifty apprentices from Achimota, Legon and Madina neighbourhoods of Accra. A stratified sampling technique was used to select the respondents from these neighbourhoods. The respondents were interviewed by the researcher, using two separate structured questionnaires: One for the seamstresses and the other for the apprentices. A non-obtrusive observational guide was also used to evaluate teaching/learning interactions at the workshop. Frequency, percentage distribution and cross-tabulation were used to analyze the data. Fathers with low level of education endorsed apprenticeship for their daughters (Ref Appendix VI). The study revealed that the seamstresses were aged between 20 and 40. Their educational attainment ranged from primary six to university. Eighty-two percent had their professional training informally in kiosks while the rest either attended formal vocational training schools or had no formal training in sewing. The apprentices were aged between 15 and 33 years. The educational level of 90% of the apprentices ranged from primary to vocational school. Ten percent had had no formal education. An aspirant apprentice ought to be introduced to a seamstress by a respectable member of her family who would be the guarantor. Apprenticeship fees ranging from 020,000 to 0120,000 were paid for a period of two and a half years apprenticeship, in addition to six months service to sew with the trainer without being paid. The apprenticeship system was devoid of theory work, with an average of seven hours each day spent on some sewing activity. Teaching and learning were through demonstration by the seamstress, observation and practice by the apprentices who most of the time taught one another (peer teaching). Eighty-two percent of the seamstress taught the sewing of slit and kaba and casual wears and eighteen percent taught the sewing of wedding gowns in addition to slit and kaba, using the free hand method of cutting. End of apprenticeship was marked by a final examination. Eighty percent of the apprentices took the Ghana National Tailors/Dressmakers Association (GNTDA) examination. The rest were examined by their trainers who had not registered with the national association. A graduation ceremony was organized in each neighbourhood for the members of GNTDA to cater for an average of two apprentices each from a workshop who completed their service together. Ninety-nine percent of the apprentices aspired to establish their own sewing shop in Accra after training because they were optimistic that business would be better in Accra than in their home towns. It is recommended that, The Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association (GNTDA) in consultation with the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) Apprentice Training Board and the Ghana Education Service (GES), develop common syllabus and text books for the Apprenticeship System. Seamstresses should emphasize the importance of fabric grain as well as principles of design as applied in garment design. This would equip the apprentice seamstress with better knowledge in garment design and construction.
Architecture and Politics In Africa
(2022) Appeaning, I.A.
In 2019, to considerable global fanfare, the new Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, opened the former palace of Emperor Menelik II to the public for the first time. Located in the heart of the capital, Addis Ababa, with sweeping views across the city, the buildings – used by successive Ethiopian regimes since the late nineteenth century – represent some of the most significant centres of political power in recent Ethiopian history. Breaking with centuries’ old traditions of secluding state buildings from popular view, the buildings now lie in a vast public complex called Unity Park alongside examples of indigenous architecture from each of Ethiopia’s nine ethnic regions. The Park is intended to be a symbolic national site that embodies and condenses Ethiopia’s cultural and material diversity. However, from the outset the purpose and official meaning of the Park as a symbol of unity have been contested by alternative narratives, reflecting how architecture and built spaces take on political meanings beyond the expressed intentions of their creators. In particular, the Park is accused of being a foreign-funded political vanity project which represents an oversimplification of the complex history of the country. The site has fuelled wider debates regarding Ethiopian history and politics in relation to where the country has come from, what constitutes its diversity and where it is going.
Architecture of Denial: Imperial Violence, the Construction of Law and Historical Knowledge during the Mau Mau Uprising, 1952–1960
(African Journal of Legal Studies, 2022) Appiah, J.; Yeboah, R.M.; Asah-Asante, A.
In 2013, the UK government settled a class action suit, which alleged that the British. The Colonial Government had subjected Kenyans to detainment, ill-treatment, and torture during the 1952–1960 ‘Kenya Emergency’. During the trial proceedings, the efforts of three expert historical witnesses for the prosecution – Caroline Elkins, David Anderson and Huw Bennett – led to the discovery of a cache of over 8,000 his torical files from 36 former British colonies. The material contained within these documents suggested not only that Britain was aware of pervasive human rights abuses occurring throughout Kenya during the Emergency, but the use of such violence was endorsed and systematically regulated at the highest levels of the colonial administration. Drawing on Foucault’s conception of historical archives as ‘systems of discursivity’, and making use of the testimonies of the three experts, this article explores how the British Colonial Administration was able to dominate the discursive space surrounding Kenyan law and Mau Mau identity, allowing both to justify the implementation of systemic violence throughout the Emergency, and to evade legal responsibility for these abuses at the time, and for decades afterward.
Arrangements for Online Engagements of Distance Learners in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic
(2021) Amponsah, S.; Aheto, S-P.K.; Anapey, G.M.; Kwapong, O.O.
The University of Ghana Distance Education Programme was not spared from the disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Management of the Department needed to make a radical move to shift from its hybrid system of delivery to a full-fledged online delivery. In spite of the limited time for this move, a lot of creative planning had to go into this, which led to a virtual training of 340 tutors, through four modules, to prepare them adequately for the task. Aside from assessing the planning and the virtual training aforementioned, this reflective paper also delves into other important issues such as the rolling out of a virtual/online academic and counselling support and architecture for monitoring of all the 228 courses that were moved onto the online space. This paper has implications for both policy and institutions that might be faced with similar circumstances, and it makes suggestions for exploration of other useful tools for delivery and monitoring that would contribute to better online engagements.

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