ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Journey to Independence and After (Dr. J. B. Danquah's Letters) Vol. II 1949 -1951

Since J. B. died in detention after a lot of suffering to which Nkrumah was insensitive; attempts have been made to show Ghanaians and the outside world what a great patriot he was. To those who followed J.B.'s career closely, all this would seem to be unnecessary. But, as the letters in this collection reveal, throughout J.B.'s active life he was regarded by the British Colonial Administration and the Convention People's Party Government as "a factious disturber of government," - a derogatory meaning for a patriot in 18th century England. A careful scrutiny of these letters, however, shows that he was a patriot of a very rare type, ~ man who did not seek any rewards for work that he did, and who spared no effort to prove that he had a high intelligence which he was not prepared for anyone, high or low, to insult. The African Latin poet, Terentius Afer, makes the claim that he is a human being, and all that touches humanity is his concern - homo sum, nil humanum a me alienum puto. Of J .B. it may be said that he was a Ghanaian, and all that touched Ghana was his concern. Therefore Ghanensis sum, nil Ghanense a me alienum puto, might well be his motto and the caption of this collection of letters.

Source: UG
Journey to Independence and After (Dr. J. B. Danquah's Letters) Vol. III 1952 – 1957

This Book is a collection of some of the letters written by the late DOCTOR JOSEPH BOAKYE DANQUAH during the ten years (1947 - 1957) of the relentless struggle for independence from Britain, and during the remaining years of his life. They cover almost every topic, and provide a running commentary on political events during this important decade of our history. Frankly, if r were to obtain all the letters he wrote during this period, this book might have been more than six times its size. Dr. Danquah had many sides known to the public. He was a selfless politician, a philosopher, a poet, a statesman, a dramatist, a jurist, a constitutionalist and a journalist. One of the least known sides of him was that he was a most interesting writer of letters, and r thought r should compile some of his letters to bring to light this important side of this wonderful man. His pen and typewriter never rested as his 'nature impelled him to immediate action, whenever he found that those entrusted with the authority to govern the nation were abusing their powers', to quote Mr. William Ofori Atta. Dr. Danquah had time for all those who visited him or wrote to him even about their own personal matters. though he was alWaYs busy about matters of state, and his profession. He saw everybody who called on him, and replied to almost every letter he received. All this shows that he led a full life· to the end, and did not seem to have had any leisure hours to speak of. Even in prison he did not live a life of idleness, and he was still writing profusely, although handicapped physically and without reference books.

Source: UG
Journey to the East: a study of Ghanaian migrants in Guangzhou, China

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, nationals of sub-Saharan Africa who had initially settled in the Middle East and other parts of Southeast Asia moved in unprecedented numbers to Guangzhou, China in response to the 1997/8 Asian financial crisis. They were later joined by many more as the Chinese economy improved and the economic relationship between China and Africa strengthened. This paper discusses the experiences of identifiable sets of Ghanaian actors in Guangzhou, China in the last two decades. It outlines their respective characteristics, main activities, migratory trajectories and their motivations for traveling to China. The paper also analyzes their coping mechanisms in this relatively new destination and concludes that despite the current turbulence that characterizes the stay of Africans in China, the future of the Ghanaian community, and largely, Africans in China is bright.

Source: UG
Journeying with the Old Testament, in Das Alte Testament im Dialog

Cover Page: This book is an introductory study of the Old Testament and it is based on the lesson taught for many years by the authors in two different Universities in Ghana. It is an interactive and didactic work that provides an innovative approach to the study of the Hebrew Bible. Through reading selected passages from the Bible and doing recommended exercises as a means of reinforcing what has been learnt, the reader will achieve a good knowledge of the Old Testament and will acquire the capability of reading and interpreting further texts. Each chapter begins with a presentation of a map of the journey, the objectives to be achieved, a summary and a final section that helps the student to evaluate his/her comprehension. This book is also a contextualized text. The last chapter is dedicated to the Old Testament in Africa and the relationship between the African Continent and the Bible, giving the reader the possibilities of acquiring skills to interpret the Old Testament from African perspectives.

Source: UG
Judicial and Legal Records in the National Archives of Ghana/Accra: An Introduction for Users

Judicial and legal records in the National Archives of Ghana headquarters repositories are important primary source materials for historians, social scientists, and other researchers, and in particular practicing lawyers. The holdings of the national archives service, both in Accra and its network, cover records relating to the political and bureaucratic activities of government. This paper focuses on the Accra holdings pertaining to judicial and legal records, in order to draw attention to the decisive attractiveness of these record series in general and, in particular, the Accra judicial and legal records to a generation inclined to both quantification and sociological analysis and to provide a guide to prospective users. The headquarters of the national archives service, where the judicial and legal records are located, is situated on Castle Road in Accra near the junction with Barnes Road. The offices are open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. The search room functions between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The formal requirement for admission to use the archives materials is the searcher's ticket obtained from the Search Room Officer on the spot.

Source: UG
Judicial Trustworthiness in Africa: Do Macro-Level Conditions Matter?

The current study’s primary goal was to assess the extent to which specific macro-level conditions cause variation in citizens’ levels of trust in courts across 33 African countries. Using an advanced analytical technique, results revealed that a country’s levels of democracy has a significant and positive relationship with citizens’ trust in the court. However, institutional corruption and crime (homicide rate) had significant and negative relationship with citizens’ trust in the court. Moreover, findings observed indicate that the relationship between macro-level factors and trust in the court is mediated by region of the country. Policy implications of the findings are discussed

Source: UG
‘Judicialization of corruption’ in Ghana: an analysis of how Ghanaians view the Office of the Special Prosecutor

Anti-corruption agencies in Ghana have failed over the years to deal with corruption and also take decisive steps in tackling the menace. For this reason, inter alia, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in 2018 established the Office of the Special Prosecutor as an institutional response to deal assertively with the issue of corruption. This action expanded the scope and discourse on the fight against corruption in Ghana. Following from this, the paper conceptualised the new institutional endeavour to control corruption in Ghana, simply as the ‘judicialization of corruption’. By judicializing corruption, the paper meant to portray a phenomenon where there is the use of judiciary and judicial processes in fighting corruption. Coming on the back of a political campaign promise, the paper seemly tested Ghanaian voters’ view on this new anti-corruption arrangement by the government and puts forward a broad-spectrum of views by voters regarding the creation of the OSP. The paper used mixed method to triangulate both qualitative and quantitative data. The result showed majority of voters backing government’s idea to create the OSP albeit a sizeable number perceiving the OSP as a mere conduit to ‘witch-hunt’ erstwhile government officials.

Source: UG
Juggling family and professional caring: Role demands, work–family conflict and burnout among registered nurses in Ghana

Aim: Juggling work and family responsibilities remains an important concern for both employees and organizations. This study aimed at examining work and family demands as predictors of work-family conflict and the relationship between work-family conflict and burnout among registered nurses in Ghana. Design: The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. Methods: Data were collected from a sample of 134 registered nurses selected from five public hospitals in Accra through convenience sampling. Participants responded to structured questionnaires that assessed, among others, experiences of work-family conflict and burnout. Results: Multiple regression analyses showed that long work hours and weekend schedules were associated with higher levels of work-to-family conflict, while the number of older dependants at home was positively related to family-to-work conflict. Family-to-work conflict was positively related to burnout, while work-to-family conflict was not significantly related to burnout.

Source: UG
Junior high school students’ use of their afterschool hours in Ghana: The role of household assets

Studies have examined a broad range of factors for how students use their time, but few attempts have been made to explore the nuanced link between different types of asset ownership and students' use of study time, particularly in resource-limited countries. This study uses data from junior high school students in Ghana to examine how students spend their time after school hours, the predictive influence of different types of household assets, and the extent to which these trends and relationships vary by gender. Polynomial quantile regression models were fitted across three quantiles (24th, 53rd, and 76th percentiles) to align with one hour, one and half hours, and two hours of study time. Results show that the average student spends well above the recommended 90 minutes on their schoolwork during afterschool hours, regardless of gender. Multivariate results indicate that owning limited assets tends to have a negative relationship with use of study time, but higher levels tend to be positively related to use of study time. Also, the predictive influence of asset ownership varies by asset type, and higher levels of asset ownership favor girls more than boys. Given this study's realtively small sample size, caution must be exercised in generalizing the study findings to the general population of junior high school students in Ghana. In light of the study's limitations, the finding of varying asset effect may have practical implications for asset development programs designed to enhance the well-being of low-income families. © 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Source: UG
K13-propeller polymorphisms in plasmodium falciparum parasites from sub-saharan Africa

The Department of Parasitology conducts research into parasitic diseases of public health importance with the overall goal of reducing their transmission and the heavy disease burden that they impose on affected populations. The Department maintains focus on parasitic diseases in general. These include major diseases such as malaria, and others listed under the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) control initiative such as, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Source: UG
Kasahare: Demystifying Rap Lyricism and Artistry in Ghana’s Hiplife Music

This article explores imaginative rap lyricism through Kasahare – a backbone of hiplife, a Ghanaian culture and entertainment staple since the 1990s – to understand its etymology, composition, and popularization, and examines excerpts of verses from three songs we consider archetypes of Kasahare released in the last 20 years, to evaluate its artistic and linguistic values. We complement our analysis with first-hand accounts and relevant contextual information gathered through personal interviews, and argue that Kasahare and its role in the preservation and promotion of Ghanaian sociocultural identities and local linguistic resources are imperative and need further study.

Source: UG
Kasena Women’s Critique of Gender Justice through Proverbial Jesting

This paper analyses proverbs used by Kasena women from northern Ghana in their effort to critique gendered perceptions of justice in their society. This critique takes place within the socially approved medium of the joking relationship that pertains between a Kasena woman and her husband’s kin. The joking relationship permits joking partners to give their views free reign and therefore provides a safe avenue for women to express their own attitudes and values pertaining to justice. They subvert and contradict Kasem proverbs in order to protest the use of gender as a basis for defining women’s roles and rights in the home and in marriage. However, gender justice, as it can be gleaned from the proverbs the women deploy, is not limited to demanding freedom from traditional dependencies and addressing gender inequities. It is broadened to include calls for the recognition of women’s self worth and of their contribution to culture—a conception of justice that has been the subject of recent debates on the definition of justice which have moved the focus from issues of distribution to questions of recognition.

Source: UG
Keeping faith with the ancestors: the preservation and practice of African traditions among the Maroons of Suriname

The Maroons of Suriname, descendants of slaves of West African origin transported to the Americas, have since maintained their ideology of Africanness and their desire to return to Africa. They cherish the values of self-respect, self-dignity, self-confidence and self-determination that their ancestors once cherished, and their disregard for Western superiority and imposition appear to have been the motivation to resist oppression, and it explains their flight from the slave masters, and their maintenance of African traditions in the New World. The capacity of the ancestors of the Maroons to demand respect and dignity from the slave masters not only compelled plantation owners, their erstwhile Caucasian masters, to sue for peace by treaties, but also to give ‘periodic “tribute”’ to their former slaves. And this legacy has molded and shaped the Maroons of Suriname over time. Given this cultural tenacity it is suggested that the imminent death of the cultural life of the Maroons of Suriname cannot be in sight, despite exposure to and pressure of other ways of life.

Source: UG
Keeping families afloat: Foster carer’s parenting experiences during COVID-19 in Ghana and implications for practice

Formal foster care is a relatively new phenomenon in Ghana. The practice is in conformity with international and national policy guidelines to deinstitutionalize and strengthen family-based care for children without adequate parental care. In addition to the known challenges of foster par enting in Ghana (stigma, financial challenges and emotional strain, inexperience of the foster parents), the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 restrictions may worsen caregivers’ burden and negatively affect children in care. This study explored how foster parents are meeting their caregiving demands during the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of existing and new challenges. Following a participatory practice research approach, a co-constructed interview guide by the researchers and a practitioner was used to conduct in-depth telephone interviews with 13 foster parents. Findings from thematic analysis of the interviews showed challenges, including increased cost of caregiving and multiple caregiving duties as challenges facing foster parents whereas chil dren’s knowledge about the virus, informal support and religious beliefs collectively enhanced caregiving during the pandemic. The findings provide learning about ways to alleviate parenting challenges for foster parents during and after the pandemic. Specifically, interventions that view children as actors for change and strengthen community and religious bodies to deliver psycho social services would be useful to improve foster parenting.

Source: UG
Keeping hope alive: An analysis of training opportunities for ghanaian youth in the emerging oil and gas industry

Over the last decade-and-a-half, African youth have been the target of much scholarly attention. Faced with poor access to education and high levels of unemployment, many researchers have explored the ways in which they make sense of these dual realities. Relatively little attention has been paid to the ways in which the introduction of active labour market policies, specifically labour market targeted skills training, fundamentally reconfigures the lived experience of African youth. This paper seeks to fill that gap. It draws on interviews with both training officials and participants in a specific training programme, which has been set up to provide youth with oil-related skills training, so as to interrogate its place in terms of youth transitions to employment. In the tradition of Robert Merton (1968) and others, I argue that this training programme serves the latent function of keeping hope alive in a context where the prospects for decent jobs in the oil and gas industry are, at best, slim. While blighted hope-in the words of Bourdieu (1984)-gives these youth a reason for living, ultimately, the government needs to do more to ensure that citizens reap the benefits, as far as employment in the oil and gas industry is concerned.

Source: UG
Keeping our story: Preservation of audio visual archives in Ghana

To find out the state and challenges of preserving audio visual archives in Ghana.The study was qualitative. In depth interviews were used to obtain data used for analysis. Data used for analysis were obtained from eight (8) respondents comprising of staff of the AV archives in the University of Ghana Library System and the J.H Nketia AV archives in Ghana. Data obtained have been analyzed and presented under major themes. A key finding of the study was that although there was a fair degree of operational direction for the preservation of AV collections, both units studied were faced with a number of challenges as far the effective and efficient preservation of collections held were concerned.This study contributes to the extent to which AV archives are preserved in Ghana. It serves as a wakeup call to management of AV archives who do not consider good preservation practices high on their agenda to rethink their positions.Finally, this study will fill the gap in the literature as the search for literature on preservation of AV archives produced very little in terms of relevance in the context of AV archives in Ghana.It informs the government and appropriate institutions on how to provide conducive environment for Audio visual collections to help safeguard our past memories

Source: UG
A Kente of Many Colours: Multilingualism and the Complex Ecology of Language Shift in Ghana

Language shift, a process which may lead speakers to use their language in fewer domains with respect to other languages or even lose proficiency in their language altogether in favour of other languages, is a prominent concept in linguistics. But the concept has been mainly studied from Western perspectives (e.g. Fishman 1964, 1991, Veltman 1983 and Bastardas-Boada 2007). This paper discusses language shift from the perspectives of Ghana, a highly multilingual developing nation in West Africa. We introduce the concept of ecology of language shift, and argue that any theory of language shift must rigorously take into consideration the complexity of the ecology in which language shift occurs. Multilingual language shift processes, which involve situations in which different types of language shift take place concurrently or sequentially in a country, are thus very different from simple language shift situations in less multilingual set-ups. The paper provides a relatively detailed empirical study of language shift based on a questionnaire survey before outlining some language maintenance activities, such as the pervasive use of indigenous Ghanaian languages in FM radio broadcast, that are being pursued to contain language shift in Ghana. Some of these language maintenance activities may also be useful for containing language shift in other African countries.

Source: UG
Kete Krachi under German Rule: 1894-1920, In; Wazi Apoh, Bea Lundt (Eds), Germany and Its West African Colonies, 'Excavations' of German Colonialism in Post-Colonial Times.

This article deals with the convoluted history of Kete and Krachi, two Guan towns that have fused and are now a single metropolis in the eastern region. In particular Aniegye detailed and sketched the origin and legacy of German presence in the area, as well as the existence of the Dente shrine. Central to this was the sacking of Salaga and the introduction of a German banking system in Kete-Krachi. A development that suited Hausa traders who transferred themselves and their households to German territory. At the same time the Dente shrine remained, and remains to this day, central to Kete-Krachi.

Source: UG
Key determinant factors for retail bank switching in Ghana

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors that influence retail bank switching in the Ghanaian banking sector. Design/methodology/approach – A detailed review of the extant literature and focus group discussions was used to identify 31 variables which were used to survey 419 customers of 18 retail banks in Ghana. Descriptive statistics and factor analysis were used to identify the main retail bank switching factors. Findings – The result of the study indicates that service encounter failures, pricing failures, electronic banking failures, service recovery failures and core service failures accounted for retail bank customer's decision to switch banks in Ghana. Research limitations/implications – The focus of the study on Ghana limits the generaliseability of the findings. Moreover, the five factor structure identified in the study could be replicated in other countries, thereby setting the stage for cross-country studies on retail bank switching. Originality/value – The study concludes that factors that account for retail bank switching in developed economies are not essentially different from the factors accounting for retail bank switching in Ghana. The study is thus significant especially to foreign banks entering the Ghanaian banking industry as it provides insight into how to satisfy and retain customers.

Source: UG
Key drivers of automobile brand choice in sub-Saharan Africa: The case of Ghana

Purpose: The paper aims to investigate the determinants of automobile brand choice in Ghana. Specifically, the paper seeks to hypothesize that consumers of automobiles make their purchases based on a multiplicity of factors. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative approach using questionnaires was adopted to survey 1,020 respondents drawn from various workplaces, churches and homes. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. Findings: The study established that the attributes of a car, emotional connection, external influences, awareness and accessibility make a strong and significant contribution to automobile brand choice in Ghana. Originality/value: The study is one of the few of its nature in sub-Saharan Africa. The new theoretical and empirical insights into factors influencing consumers' purchase decision of automobiles from the study will be significant to automobile manufacturers and dealers operating in developing countries such as Ghana. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Source: UG