College of Humanities
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Item Evidence of Spiritual Capital in the Schooling of Second-Generation Ghanaians in Amsterdam(African Human Mobility Review, 2021) Kyei, J.R.K.O.; Smoczynski, R.; Setrana, M.B.This study investigates how spiritual capital accrued from religiosity influences the educational mobility of second-generation migrants in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We propose that inherently, religiosity possesses resources that have consequences for the socio-economic and cultural life of the adherents. The study adopts ethnographic research methods including in-depth interviews, participant observation, and informal interviews in the religious field of African Initiated Christian Churches (AICCs) in Amsterdam. Fifty second-generation migrants participated in the research out of which thirty-five were women and fifteen were men. Nine representatives of AICCs were interviewed. All the research participants were purposively selected. The study found that although educational attainment is not a driving force for the creation of AICCs, religiosity has consequential effects on the schooling of second-generation Ghanaians. The study also found that spiritual capital accumulated through prayers, reading of Holy Scriptures, participation in religious services, and church commitment may facilitate or deter progress in the schooling of second-generation Ghanaians. The paper concludes that religiosity and schooling are not incompatible; rather, they are complementary in the integration of second-generation migrants into Dutch society.Item Economic freedom, competition and bank stability in Sub Saharan Africa(International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2020) Sarpong-Kumankoma, E.; Abor, J.Y.; Aboagye, A.Q.Q.; Amidu, M.Purpose – This study aims to analyze the potential implications of economic freedom and competition for bank stability. Design/methodology/approach – Using system generalized method of moments and data from 139 banks across 11 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries during the period 2006–2012, this study considers whether the degree of economic freedom affects the relationship between competition and bank stability. Findings – The results show evidence of the competition-fragility hypothesis in SSA banking but suggest that beyond a setting threshold, market power increases may also damage bank stability. Financial freedom hurts bank stability, implying that banks operating in environments with greater financial freedom generally tend to be less stable or more risky. The authors also find evidence of a conditional effect of economic freedom on the competition–stability relationship, implying that bank failure is more likely to occur in countries with greater economic freedom but low competition in the banking sector. Practical implications – The results suggest to policymakers that a moderate level of competition and economic freedom may be the appropriate policy to ensure the stability of banks. Originality/value – The study provides insight into the competition–bank stability relationship, by providing new empirical evidence on the effect of economic freedom, which has not been previously considered.Item Interactive programmes on private radio stations in Ghana: An avenue for impoliteness(Journal of African Media Studies, 2018) Thompson, R.A.; Anderson, J.A.This study aims to show the impoliteness strategies employed during some radio interactions. The data used here are mainly recordings of the morning shows of some private radio stations in Ghana. We establish that all the recorded utterances have some features that correspond with at least one of Culpeper’s (1996, 2005) impoliteness strategies, which are bald-on-record impoliteness, positive impoliteness, negative impoliteness, off-record impoliteness, and withhold politeness. However, many of the participants prefer the use of the on-record strategies to the off-record strategies of impoliteness. We, therefore, assert that many participants in interactive radio programs in Ghana prefer to convey messages to their addressees in a more direct and unrestrained manner, with little or no attention to their (addressees’) face needs. These participants attack the faces of more powerful people not only to demean their social status but also to demand quicker results and gain some psychological relief.Item Dwindling water supply and its socio-economic impact in Sekyere Kumawu District in Ashanti Region of Ghana: public opinion on the role of climate change(GeoJournal, 2020) Adjei-Mensah, K.; Kusimi, J.M.Water remains a vital natural resource necessary for sustaining life and development. Glob ally there has been an increasing demand for water due to the increasing population. Water demand has worsened in certain regions where instead of climate change water resources are declining. This has created livelihood impacts. Using in-depth interviews and household surveys of household heads and opinion leaders in the district, the study ascertained public opinion on the role of climate change on dwindling domestic water provision and how inadequate water supply affects the socio-economic lives of people at household level in Sekyere-Kumawu District in Ghana. Rising temperatures, declining rainfall amounts, and stormy weather were some of the perceived changing climatic ele ments explaining the reduction in the water resource base of the district. Shortage in water supply has a great impact on the socioeconomic livelihood and health of residents with a greater impact on women and children. Households attributed low crop yields, the prevalence of water-borne diseases and poverty as some consequences of low water supply owing to bad climatic conditions. The study recommends the development of district-level climate change strategies, incorporating them into the overall national climate change policy to ensure a comprehensive climatic resilient economy to promote sustainable growth and developmentItem Prospects and Feasibility of Diaspora Bond: The Case of Ghana(International Journal of Financial Research, 2019) Mensah, L.This study sought to establish the rationale, feasibility, conditions, determinants, and hindrances of a successful issuance of a diaspora bond by Ghana as a sovereign economic entity. The study also sought to assess the willingness of the Ghanaian diaspora to patronize a diaspora bond. A total of 12 financial institutions within Accra and 113 Ghanaians living in the diaspora were contacted using the purposive sampling method. The study finds that Ghana has patriotic citizens in the diaspora who are ready to patronize its diaspora bonds. It was also found that prospective investors of Ghana‟s diaspora bond find GDP growth and political stability as the most favorable indicators in pulling investors. The study concludes that though internal weaknesses and external threats exist, Ghana stands a good chance for a successful diaspora bond issue with an anticipated high patronage by Ghanaians in the diaspora.Item Drivers of income inequality in Africa: Does institutional quality matter?(African Development Review, 2020) Kunawotor, M.E.; Bokpin, G.A.; Barnor, C.This paper examines the role institutional quality plays among the empirical drivers of income inequality in Africa. Using a dynamic two‐step difference GMM with robust standard errors over the period 1990–2017, we find no statistically significant effect of institutions in general, on income inequality. However, we find that institutional quality indicators such as control of corruption and the strict enforcement of the rule of law significantly reduce income inequality. We also find no statistically significant effects of the other institutional quality indicators such as government effectiveness, voice and accountability, regulatory quality, and political stability on income inequality in our sample. We suggest that more premium be placed on corruption control and the stringent adherence to the rule of law in ensuring equitable distribution of income in Africa. Furthermore, we re‐echo suggestions that promote institutional development in Africa as institutions in general remain very weak.Item Students’ academic freedom in African universities and democratic enhancement(African Human Rights Law Journal, 2019) Appiagyei-Atua, K.This article makes a case for the need to recognize students’ right to academic freedom as a necessary component of the academic freedom matrix in addition to that of the university and academics. It seeks to affirm this position by exposing the various categories of rights that students are entitled to enjoy on and off campus. The conclusion reached is that the academic freedom of the three actors (university, academics, students) are indivisible, interdependent, and interconnected; and that the suppression of students’ right to academic freedom has the a consequence of denying them the right to engage democratically in the university campus which could spill over into their involvement in realpolitik in the real world.Item Are Sub-Saharan African Countries Losing it on Oil and Gas Revenue Management Too? Evidence from Ghana(International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 2019) Ali-Nakyea, A.; Amoh, J.K.; Mohammed, N.A.The judicious management of revenues from natural resources has been challenging. This paper examines the effectiveness of Revenue Management. Laws for oil and gas revenues in Ghana. This is to assess whether Ghana has learned any lessons from the challenges of mineral revenue management. The study found that the management of the minerals and mining sector revenues is disturbing and some imminent problems identified in the management of the recent oil and gas revenues. The study recommends the adoption of Drysdale’s five principles of effective natural resource revenue management to avoid such problems associated with an influx of natural resource wealth. We recommend a consolidation of Petroleum Revenue Management Act, 2011 (Act 815) and the Petroleum Revenue Management (Amendment) Act, 2015 (Act 893) to provide consistency in interpreting the oil and gas Revenue Management Laws. We posit that with the experiences in the minerals and mining sector emphasized and the implementation of our recommendations, Ghana would be better informed on how to establish an effective and efficient framework to manage oil and gas revenues to spur Ghana beyond aid.Item Urban Flooding, Adaptation Strategies, and Resilience: Case Study of Accra, Ghana(African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation, 2021) Owusu, K.; Obour, P.B.Despite massive flood-controlling investments, perennial flooding continues to be a major challenge in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Assembly in Ghana. Previous studies have mostly considered the vulnerability of Accra to flooding induced by urbanization and climate change. This chapter examined the impacts of and adaptation strategies to flooding in two flood-prone residential areas in Accra. A survey was conducted among 320 household heads to ascertain the local impacts of floods and community adaptation strategies. To obtain a broader picture of government interventions and challenges, key stakeholders such as personnel from ministries, departments, and agencies who are involved in city planning, and private urban planning consultants were interviewed. The study found that a notable driver of floods in Accra is blocked waterways, and flawed and ad hoc engineering works. About three-quarters of the households interviewed have suffered flood-related losses over the past decade such as housing damage, income, and even the death of a relative. Key flood control interventions included dredging before the start of rains and sporadic demolition of unauthorized buildings on or near waterways to allow the free flow of water. However, these interventions only seem to be ephemeral due to the rapid rate of littering and re-siltation of the waterways after a few rain events. The study highlights the need for more pragmatic and robust engineering solutions to build the resilience of Accra to floods.Item Experiences of COVID-19 in Africa(Nature Human Behaviour, 2021) Asuming, P.O.Timely information for understanding the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 in low-income countries is very limited. A recent paper by Josephson, Kilic, and Michler reveals large and disproportionate socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic and provides useful insights to inform an appropriate policy response.