School of Social Sciences
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Item "Taming the beast”: Theorizing the use of mobile phones amongst traders in Accra(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Asante, R.K.B.Over the years, the domestication theory has been used to explore the "taming" of the television within the household space of western nations. However, few studies have employed this theory to examine the "taming" of other technologies outside the private space of people. This paper will attempt to show the process involved in the taming of technology outside the private space of people within the Ghanaian context by examining how traders in Accra domesticate the mobile phone considering data from 374 randomly selected traders. The findings showed that the taming of the mobile phone in the public-private space of the traders is largely conditioned by the culture of their public-private space. Additionally, the taming process for the mobile phone follows a parallel- cyclical process and not the inherent unilineal process described by the domestication process.Item Relationships with intimate partner violence: Exploring the dynamics and associated personal characteristics in an urban sample in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Akotia, C.S.; Anum, A.Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a universal problem that significantly affects individual's mental and physical well-being. Researchers have identified different risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and victimization. Research on IPV however, have focused largely on either men or women with little attempt to compare the sexes on issues that are associated with IPV and the dynamics involved in relationships in which IPV occurs. Using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) (Strauss, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996), we embarked on a preliminary study exploring the different types of violence perpetrated on partners among Ghanaians living in Accra. We also explored individual and group characteristics such as age, education, and relationship status as predictors of IPV. We administered the CTS2 to 150 people selected from Accra. Our findings showed gender and education associations with victimization and perpetration of IPV. We also found limited but significant associations with types of IPV. We discuss the appropriateness of the CTS2 in Ghana and discuss our findings in the light of the Ghanaian socio-cultural context.Item Sexual harassment and sexual harassment policies in organisations in Ghana: Confessions of duty bearers(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Dzorgbo, D-B.S.; Ashe, A.S.This study investigates the nature and level of implementation of sexual harassment policies in formal organizations in Ghana. That the phenomenon of sexual harassment is widespread albeit under- reported has been repeatedly stressed in the literature as well as in many friendship and intimate interaction contexts. Its incidence is high particularly among young women and therefore constitutes sexual violence against them. The repercussions of sexual harassment do not only undermine occupational well-being, health, and safety of victims but also their marriages, families, workplace productivity and thus society at large. In this paper, we interrogate the interface between sexual harassment cases and the implementation of sexual harassment policies at workplaces. More specifically, we explore the nature of sexual harassment in work organisations, the perceptions, and understandings of those who implement sexual harassment policies in workplaces as well as the level of implementation of these policies. The data come mainly from in-depth interviews with stakeholders or duty bearers. On the basis of the findings, the need to develop and implement a comprehensive sexual harassment policy at organisational levels is identified as a crucial variable in combating sexual harassment at workplaces in Ghana.Item Aphrodisiacs and phallic competence: Implications for dominant masculinity(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Fiaveh, D.Y.; Okyerefo, M.P.K.; Fayorsey, C.K.The study explores how use of aphrodisiacs influence the construction of phallic competence and sex decision making based on in-depth interviews with 20 women and 16 men in Ghana. Participants were recruited mainly by word-of-mouth through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The findings indicate that aphrodisiacs influence dominant masculinity for both women and men. Women differentiated between men based on their phallic competence (ability to satisfy a woman sexually) and preferred eho ne ho (average) penis for sex. The penis has to perform satisfactorily to stimulate a woman's sexual pleasure. In reality, however, the size of a penis does not necessarily matter once it can sexually satisfy a woman even if it is a small penis. The use of aphrodisiac was mainly to sustain erection and prolong sex in order to satisfy a woman sexually. Women were selfish in their quest to seek sexual pleasure and exerted indirect pressures on their male partners to seek sexual virility by recommending and providing them with aphrodisiacs.Item On being gay in Ghana - Young men's life experiences(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Gyasi-Gyamerah, A.A.In Ghana, individuals who are gay or homosexuals are not likely to disclose their status because of the generally negative attitudes toward homosexual behavior. This general negative attitude has been well documented in the scientific literature. In Ghana, there has been a raging debate on the subject of morality of homosexuality in the mass media for quite a long time. Despite this negative attitude, there are some individuals who have disclosed their status, largely in secret. This paper seeks to discuss the life experiences of nine (9) male university students and the challenges they face due to their sexual orientation. We examine four themes derived from analyses of transcripts of in-depth interviews. The discussion centers on what they believe to have caused their homosexuality, their openness about their sexual orientation, reactions by society and fellow students towards them and the vulnerability they feel due to these reactions. The paper concludes with the thoughts of these gay students on what the university as an entity and Ghana as a whole should do to protect the rights of homosexuals as human beings.Item Tradition versus modernity: Perspectives on economic transformation of Akan funerals(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Boateng, A.This article examines the economic aspect of contemporary Akan funeral celebrations in Ghana. Akan lineage members, from birth through puberty, marriage, maturity, old age, go through various rites of passage that bond them culturally, socially and spiritually to others in society. One such rite is funeral celebration, which has been at the heart of public social events of the people. Akan funerals, wherever they are celebrated, be it in Ghana or the diaspora, form a context for people to come together. However, the changes in Ghanaian Akan funerals over the years, and their impact on the people, make this a crucial topic to study. The authors interviewed 20 Akans (10 based in the U.S. and the other 10 based in Ghana), to explore their perspectives on the changing economic trends of Akan funeral practices. Economic impact and the resulting challenges identified by the participants are discussed.Item Household structure and child outocmes: School enrolment and labour force participation of fostered children in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Asuman, D.; Boakye-Yiadom, L.; Owoo, N.S.Children are an integral part of cultural and economic setting of households in Ghana. As such, their welfare outcomes are of a primary concern to the household and the development aspirations of the nation. Child fostering, the practice by which children reside in households where neither parent is present is pervasive in most societies of West Africa. Data from the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standard Survey suggest that approximately 14% of individuals less than sixteen years old reside in households where neither parent is present. The practice of fostering also has important implications for economic studies that have attempted to establish the determinants of child welfare outcomes in societies where the prevalence of fostering is high. This study examines the relationship between household structure and child outcomes by assessing the determinants of school enrolment and labour force participation of primary school age fostered children in Ghana. The study further examines the role of the biological relationship between a child and the caregiver and the school enrolment and market production decisions concerning fostered children. Applying the bivariate probit model to the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey, the study finds that the personal characteristics of the fostered child (age, gender and relationship to the head of household) are significant determinants of welfare outcomes of fostered children. Characteristics of the head of household particularly the educational attainment of the household head is a strong predictor of the school and labour market outcomes of fostered children. Household demographic characteristics do not exhibit significant influences of the household decisions concerning fostered children; whilst an index of household income suggests that improvements in household income leads to better child outcomes. A key policy recommendation that arises from this study is the need for public programmes and policies that are targeted at improving the welfare outcomes of children taking into account the high mobility of children between households in GhanaItem Differences in intelligence test scores among urban children in Ghana: Examining test characteristics and socio-economic factors(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Anum, A.Performance on standardized cognitive tests among children in low income or less developed countries have consistently been low. The difference in test scores usually range between 1 to 2 standard deviations lower than published norms. Explanations for this difference have been attributed partly to IQ differences between different races which has been a subject of debate in scientific and academic research since the inception of IQ testing in the early 20th century. The debate about race differences in intelligence concerns the interpretation of research findings that Caucasian test takers tend on average to score higher than individuals of African descent. This was followed subsequently with the finding that test takers of East Asian background tend to score higher than Caucasians. Part of the explanation for racial differences in IQ or test scores is the issue of test bias, that is, test items tend to favor individuals for whom the test was initially developed. Although tests are standardized on local populations to address this challenge, significant differences are still found between groups separated by socioeconomic factors, even on measures that are supposed to be culture-fair. It therefore appears that differences in test scores may be explained by other factors apart from cultural differences. In the current study, we examined performance on three tests with varying degrees of cultural bias. We examined the effects of different socioeconomic factors on test performance and found expected superior performance for children in high socioeconomic groups on all tests. The difference in scores however diminished on tests that had low cultural bias. The findings from this study are discussed in the light of differences in wealth, parents' influence, and quality of school and teaching.Item Maneuvering the labelling status: Life stories of juvenile delinquents in adulthood transitions(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Abrah, P.B.Traditional labelling theorists contend that acquisition of a delinquent status can be problematic for some group of individuals who aged out of the criminal justice system as they progressed through adulthood. Using a qualitative research design, this paper addresses the question of how labeling explains persistence of crime over an individual's life course by tracking and exploring the lived experiences of 23 juvenile delinquents who have persisted and desisted from crime and were once committed to the Senior Boys Correctional Centre (SBCC) in Accra. The participants shared their life stories on how their acquisition of a delinquent status (labelling) impacted on their transformation. The narratives generated from their pattern of responses depart from the theoretical underlying assumptions of traditional labelling scholars, Lemert (1957), Becker (1963) and Goffman (1963). The findings suggest that labelling per se does not necessarily explain persistence of crime over all individual's life course as the narratives frequently project voices of juvenile delinquents who manage their delinquent status in the face negative societal reactions. The study therefore emphasized the need for criminal justice experts, correctional service providers and other private institutions to incorporate social support systems and cognitive behavourial treatment into their broader policy frameworks and agenda towards the reformation of criminals.Item Addressing ethical issues in suicide research in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-04-17) Akotia, C.S.; Osafo, J.Suicide is a sensitive issue around the globe and research in the area in Ghana has exuded certain ethical challenges confronting researchers on the topic. These ethical issues bother on the moral dilemmas faced by the researchers while conducting qualitative interviews among suicide attempters and lay persons as well as the beneficial effects of conducting such interviews. We argue that researchers doing suicide studies in developing countries should continue to emphasize to informants their role as 'researchers' and not therapists. However, perhaps in LAMIC countries with limited mental health resources, researchers can reasonably double as a helper and researcher. Such dualistic role should not be viewed as a breach of standard ethical protocol, but rather, perhaps as a dynamic artifact of doing 'culturally sensitive' research.