Department of Sociology

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    The Implications Of Parental Intimate Partner Violence On Young Adults’ Intimate Relationships
    (University of Ghana, 2022-03) Boakye-Duah, S.
    Intimate Partner Violence is a significant global, social, and general medical condition in both developed and developing nations. Violent behavior can be transferred from a present generation to the next when one witnesses or gets exposed to violence between one’s parents, although the impact may differ from males to females. Witnessing Intimate Partner Violence in the initial stages of your life as a child can be very disturbing. Objective: This study sought to explore the implications of parental intimate partner violence on young adults’ intimate relationships by exploring participants’ knowledge on the types of IPV, ways by which participants navigated through their experiences of IPV, implications for their own intimate relationships and finally ways they navigated the good and bad aspects of their intimate relationships. Method: With the use of purpose sampling technique and snowball sampling, a total of fifteen participants were selected for the study. The data was organized and analyzed by employing Thematic Analysis Format. Findings showed that there is a gendered experience of intimate partner violence. Participants highlighted four types of intimate partner violence namely, verbal, physical, psychological, and economic violence. Gaslighting was one unique form of psychological violence that emerged in the study. Most participants developed fear for marriage, divorce, modelling violent behaviour, resisting the support of third parties to choose safer ways of navigating challenges within their own intimate relationships. The study showed that based on these experiences, participants devised strategies that will be a hindrance to the rise of violence in their own intimate relationships. The contribution of this thesis to knowledge is that it has revealed the gendered experiences of Parental Intimate Partner Violence and the negative implication of participants intimate relationships.
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    La Migration, C’est Une Tradition, C’est Une Mode De Vie”: The Nigerien Migrants On The Streets Of Accra.
    (University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Osei, I.B.
    The presence of Tuareg migrants on the streets of Accra confirms the idea that south-south migration is prominent on the African continent. It also presents a case of international migration for begging as a form of economic mobility outside formal labour markets yet within the framework of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement. Drawing on 21 in-depth interviews and informal conversations with participants from the Accra mall area and Sabon Zongo in Accra, this study examines the distinctive form of migration for begging amongst the Tuareg migrants on the streets of Accra as part of intra-regional migration flows in West Africa. Data were analysed within the framework of the Push-Pull Plus model and the culture of migration with themes generated accordingly. My findings show that following the 1970s and the 1980s drought in Niger and other parts of the Sahel region, and the various Tuareg rebellions that have happened between that time and now in Niger and Mali, racially white Tuareg migrants, in particular, have been drawn to Ghana. Over the years, these Tuareg migrants have developed a culture of migration for begging in Ghana. This is because Ghana is a politically stable country with democratic provisions that allow the Tuareg migrants some rights and freedoms. The political and economic freedoms afforded the Tuareg migrants in Ghana match their economic interests. This international migration for begging amongst the Tuaregs in Accra is engendered by the fact that begging is a common phenomenon in Ghana’s Zongo communities, which are usually the first places of residence for the Tuareg migrants in Accra. These, coupled with the fact that there is a somewhat lax approach to the implementation of laws on begging in Ghana as compared to other countries in the sub-region where the Tuareg migrants report negative experiences with the law enforcement agencies, make begging a favourable means to income generation amongst the Tuareg migrants. Furthermore, the Tuareg migrants on the streets of Accra, albeit foreigners in another country, are not totally cut off the Ghanaian society. Although they prefer residential segregation, there are nonetheless aspects of their living arrangements that have traces of Ghanaian societies.
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    The Implications Of Parental Intimate Partner Violence On Young Adults’ Intimate Relationships
    (University of Ghana, 2022-03) Boakye-Duah, S.
    ABSTRACT Intimate Partner Violence is a significant global, social, and general medical condition in both developed and developing nations. Violent behavior can be transferred from a present generation to the next when one witnesses or gets exposed to violence between one’s parents, although the impact may differ from males to females.Witnessing Intimate Partner Violence in the initial stages of your life as a child can be very disturbing. Objective: This study sought to explore the implications of parental intimate partner violence on young adults’ intimate relationships by exploring participants’ knowledge on the types of IPV, ways by which participants navigated through their experiences of IPV, implications for their own intimate relationships and finally ways they navigated the good and bad aspects of their intimate relationships. Method: With the use of purpose sampling technique and snowball sampling, a total of fifteen participants were selected for the study. The data was organized and analyzed by employing Thematic Analysis Format. Findings showed that there is a gendered experience of intimate partner violence. Participants highlighted four types of intimate partner violence namely, verbal, physical, psychological, and economic violence. Gaslighting was one unique form of psychological violence that emerged in the study. Most participants developed fear for marriage, divorce, modelling violent behaviour, resisting the support of third parties to choose safer ways of navigating challenges within their own intimate relationships. The study showed that based on these experiences, participants devised strategies that will be a hindrance to the rise of violence in their own intimate relationships. The contribution of this thesis to knowledge is that it has revealed the gendered experiences of Parental Intimate Partner Violence and the negative implication of participants intimate relationships.
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    Strikes And Their Effects On Educational Institutions: The Case Of Accra College Of Education
    (University Of Ghana, 2020-11) Gomashie, P.
    Strikes within the educational sector have been a topical issue as most governments across the globe try to resolve the grievances of teachers in order to stabilize the educational system. Ghana is no exception as tutors in the colleges of education recently embarked on a month-long strike disrupting academic work. This study explored the causes of the strike in the Accra College of Education. In addition, it examines the effects of strikes on teaching, learning research and marking of assignments. A mixed methods approach was adopted for the study. Specifically, explanatory sequential mixed method was adopted to examine strikes and its effects on Accra College of Education. This mixed methods approach is in two phases. First, the quantitative study followed by the qualitative study. As a result, the data for the quantitative study was collected and analyzed first, and the result was used to design the qualitative study, which complemented the quantitative result. The data collection techniques employed included self-administered questionnaire for the quantitative method and an interview guide for the qualitative method. The study revealed that all the respondents had at least experienced a strike action ever since they came into contact with the college of education. In addition, respondents identified payment of salaries, delay in the payment of the book and research allowance and government’s inability to fulfill promises made to teachers as the leading causes of the recent strike that lasted for a month. Also, the strike affected learning as students were put under pressure when the tutors resumed. All the respondents admitted that strike actions disrupted the academic calendar and negatively affected teaching and learning.
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    Fake News And Covid-19 Information Verification Practices Amongst Social Media Users And Non-Users In Accra
    (University Of Ghana, 2022-03) Degboe, D.M.
    It has been widely observed by the World Health Organization that the Covid-19 pandemic simultaneously exists with an “infodemic”, a term adopted to mean the abundance of misinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic. This study sought to investigate how Ghanaian social media users and non-users in Accra verified the views they held about the Covid-19 virus and pandemic. To guide the fulfilment of this objective, the study used Mead’s theory of self-indication and Parson’s social action theory to explain why people held misinformed views about the Covid-19 pandemic, why they chose to verify certain pieces of information whilst acting on others without verification, and how they verified information. The study was qualitative in nature and data was obtained through in-depth interviews with twenty participants in Accra, ten of whom were social media users and ten of whom were non-social media users. The study found that in addition to holding medically-endorsed views on Covid-19, most participants held views that have been dismissed as inaccurate at best or harmful at worst. Some of these views were that the Covid-19 virus is a deliberate human creation, that the sun provided protection for Ghanaians against Covid-19, and that local remedies such as neem tree and saline were effective in protecting one from contracting the virus and for treatment. The main reason for the prevalence of misinformation amongst participants was that most participants usually shared any received information with others without verifying because they trusted the source of information. Participants only verified information on Covid-19 if the information was opposed to their existing views, had substantial consequences if false or true, or due to a recognition that misinformation is rampant. For participants who used social media, checking the internet for concordant information was the main means of verification. For participants who did not use social media, verification mainly occurred by waiting for the information to be corroborated by traditional media sources.
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    Exploring The Rise Of Competitive Political Vigilantism In Ghana
    (University Of Ghana, 2020-10) Ayamga, B.B.
    Political vigilantism as a form of social movement has become pervasive in Ghanaian politics, especially, in the last decade. Ghanaian political parties’ desire for political power is gradually making political vigilantism a part of Ghanaian politics. This threatens the democratic fabric of the Ghanaian society due to the crimes and brutalities perpetrated by these political vigilante groups. This social phenomenon has been widely discussed in Ghanaian media due to the crimes and other obscene acts that such groups tend to be associated with. In recent times, political vigilantism has gained much attention in the works of sociologists, criminologists, and other disciplines. However, among the diverse body of studies, few have been done on how people who are recruited into political vigilante groups, explain their motivation(s) for participating and their perceptions of the implications of their actions on political stability or security. This study therefore examines how people who are recruited into political vigilante groups, explain their motives or reasons for participating and their perceptions of the implications of their actions on political stability or security since the activities of political vigilantism is rising in Ghana in recent times. Guided by the qualitative research approach; - a semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen political vigilantes from two famous political vigilante groups in Ghana. Additional data was solicited from two females who are members of a female party youth group which work with one of the political vigilante groups. During the interviews, participants gave a full and rich narratives of how they were recruited into their political vigilante group, their motives or reasons for joining and participating in political vigilantism, their experiences during their operations, their perceptions of their actions or operations on security or political stability and how they think state and non-state actors should respond to political vigilantism. However, for some of the participants, this topic was difficult to discuss because of the sensitive nature of their activities and the current law in Ghana disbanding the activities of political vigilantes. The findings revealed that, political vigilante group recruit its members on the basis of trust, political affiliation, ethnic affiliation, recommendation from party members or peers and previous knowledge in security. In addition, it revealed that, lack of decent jobs and poverty, lack of trust in state security institutions, lack of trust or integrity in the electoral commission, access to social support, access to social capital, a desire party recognition and ethnic support are the reasons participants gave for joining and participating in political vigilantism. On the downside, participants experienced physical and verbal assault, threat and intimidation, exploitation, regret and psychological pains as part of the operations and membership of these groups. The findings also revealed that contrary to the dominant position that vigilantes are necessarily and desirable by participants, participants perceive political vigilantism as inimical to security or political stability. These notwithstanding they desire that they should be viewed as peaceful groups rendering supportive services to their political parties and not to cause harm to anybody. In conclusion, this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge about motives or reasons for engaging in political vigilantism, how people are recruited into political vigilante groups, the experiences of political vigilantes, political vigilantes’ perceptions of their actions on security and how they want both state and non-state actors to respond to their actions more specifically in the Ghana context. Again, the finding of this study implies that, government and in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders need to create more decent jobs, restore public trust or confidence in the state security, ensure diligence and transparency in the electoral process and so on.
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    Cyber Crime And The Youth In Ghana: A Study Of The Sakawa Conundrum In Accra And Agona Swedru Communities
    (University of Ghana, 2018-10) Smith, B
    In the past few years, cyber crimes and youth involvement in cyber crimes have engaged the attention of law enforcement agencies, the media and tbe general public due to the high prevalence of the crimes. Previous research in Africa has focused mainly on the Nigerian '419' scams and why youths generally indulge in criminal activities. The focus of this research was to examine, from a sociological angle, and from the perspective of selected theories, the motivations and reasons which encourage and influence the high predisposition for youth in cyber crimes or "Sakawa" as it is known in Ghana. The specific 0bjectives were to explore the socio economic demographic backgrounds of youths involved in Sakawa, identify the different cyber fraud types that youths in Ghana engage in, examine the reasons and motivations of those engaged in cyber fraud, explore the practices and gains associated with cyber crimes and finally examine the responses and challenges of law enforcement agencies to curb cyber fraud. The methodology employed was qualitative, using snowball sampling method to select 10 cyber crime perpetrators, aged between 18 and 24 years, for an in-depth interview. Two key informants from the Ghana Police Service and Serious Fraud Office were also interviewed. The study areas were Accra, the capital of Ghana, and Agona Swedru, the district capital of Agona in Ghana. The data collected from the field was analysed and the research findings showed that respondents were from economically deprived backgrounds, youth perpetrators engaged in different types of cyber crimes, most respondents gave motivations ranging from a poor legal framework, profitability of the crime, family support and encouragement, low deterrence factor to few job opportunities. The research fmdings were consistent with the Differential Association and Strain theories and indicated that youth felt a disconnect between their economic goals and legitimate means of achieving them; and further that criminal behaviour is learned, and learned from association with close peers, also perpetrators used some neutralization techniques to assuage guilt. The ability to switch identities and the anonymity presented by the internet encouraged cyber delinquent activities. On the basis of these findings, the following major recommendations were made: there must be enactment of specific legal framework against cyber-crimes, to raise public awareness about the common modus operandi of perpetrators, formulation of proactive economic policies that could engender employment opportunities for the youth and the harmonization of laws against cyber crime at the domestic and regional levels. The research also makes recommendations for future areas of research.
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    Exploring the Experiences Of Mobile Money Fraud Victims In Madina Market
    (University of Ghana, 2020-10) Addae-Sakyi, A.A
    Mobile Money usage has grown significantly with reports from Bank of Ghana indicating a 73.4 percent growth rate between 2012 and 2016 and accounting for 94.11 percent of total non-cash payment. Mobile money fraud is one area of cybercrime that has gained notoriety in Ghana in recent times because of the increasing number of subscribers and volume of transactions. This study explores the experiences of Madina market traders who have been victims of mobile money fraud. It further examines the factors that influence mobile money fraud amongst the traders. The study adopted a sequential mixed method approach: a survey of 235 mobile money users from Madina market and interviews with 3 respondents who had been victims. Quantitative findings revealed that apart from gender that has an influence on mobile money fraud, educational background and telecommunication network do not influence mobile money fraud among the traders. Interviews with victims of mobile money fraud revealed that victims feel reluctant to report incidents of fraud to police or network operators because of their inability to resolve issues. The study also disclosed that, the emotional pain experienced by victims of mobile money fraud can deter them from using mobile money for any financial transaction. The study recommends that service providers increase the education on mobile money fraud in local languages in order to reach traders with no formal education.
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