During the late twentieth century, international volunteering has become one of the fastest growing trends in traveling. The rise of the voluntourism sector has been accompanied by a rise of...Show moreDuring the late twentieth century, international volunteering has become one of the fastest growing trends in traveling. The rise of the voluntourism sector has been accompanied by a rise of research on this matter. Yet, compared to volunteers and volunteer tourism organizations (VTOs), host communities receive the least attention in studies on voluntourism. This research has been devoted to bring forward the local, Ghanaian perspective on Western volunteers in community development projects. Results from semi-structured interviews with community members of Tinkong, Ghana, indicate that support from outside, including from Western volunteers, is considered necessary for Ghanaian communities to further develop. At the same time, true contact between volunteers and hosts mostly lacks, which forms a profound barrier to the establishment of cross-cultural interaction. Besides, the way participants speak of Western engagements reveals that their judgement is not just based on the kind of work that Western NGOs or private organizations do, but that it also strongly relates to factors that go beyond the impact of volunteers themselves, such as Ghana’s political situation. More longitudinal research on voluntourism helps in working towards the holistic, multi-disciplinary understanding of the topic that is needed.Show less
After the Second World War, eleven dependent territories came under supervision of the United Nations Trusteeship Council. This thesis focuses on the trust territories of Togoland under British and...Show moreAfter the Second World War, eleven dependent territories came under supervision of the United Nations Trusteeship Council. This thesis focuses on the trust territories of Togoland under British and French administration and their roads to independence. It questions how the UN Trusteeship Council managed developments of decolonization in these West African trust territories. Specifically, it analyses the ways in which the Council was able to facilitate or obstruct policies by the British and French governments to retain control over the decolonization of these territories. It concludes that the role of the Council was determined by the compatibility of such policies with the aims of the Council, as well as by the interplay of national interests, international diplomacy and dynamics of empire.Show less
Fish-smoking is a popular post-harvest preservation method in Ghana, predominantly carried out by women in fishing communities. NGOs and researchers in Ghana in the 1950s identified a range of...Show moreFish-smoking is a popular post-harvest preservation method in Ghana, predominantly carried out by women in fishing communities. NGOs and researchers in Ghana in the 1950s identified a range of adverse health risks in local fish-smoking oven technologies that place fish-smokers at risk. The main approach that has been adopted to combat these risks has been through developing new fish-smoking oven technology, which is being distributed across Ghana by NGOs. This research paper aimed to contribute an alternative understanding of these NGO approaches in Ghana through investigating the level of participation within NGO interventions and by drawing attention to gender dynamics that frame fish-smoker’s agency. Through conducting research at fish-smoking sites in Jamestown, Greater Accra, this paper’s findings demonstrate how fish-smoker’s participation and inclusion in NGO interventions are limited, leaving fish smokers hesitant to adopt NGO distributed oven technologies. Drawing from key theory around participation and Gender and Development, this paper stresses the dynamic interplay between participation and gender within NGO fish-smoking oven interventions and the far-reaching implications for women’s collective success in the Ghanaian fish-smoking industry. This study’s conclusions suggest that alternative approaches, which consider the role of gender in the fisheries value chain more closely, could result in more transformative interventions for fish-smokers in Ghana.Show less
Teenage pregnancy is a major issue in Ghana and could be reduced by increasing the use of contraceptives. Contraceptive uptake in Ghana has doubled since 1989, but is still relatively low (GSS,...Show moreTeenage pregnancy is a major issue in Ghana and could be reduced by increasing the use of contraceptives. Contraceptive uptake in Ghana has doubled since 1989, but is still relatively low (GSS, 2013). One of the reasons is the fear of side effects of which infertility brings the biggest fear (Krugu, 2016; Bratton, 2010). This study looked at those fears in the Bolgatanga municipality and analysed the origin of these fears, attitude towards Family Planning (FP) and intention to use contraceptives. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIS) and a questionnaire for Senior Highschool students were used to get insight in the influence of education, the healthcare system and religion on the usage of contraceptives and beliefs related to FP. An abstinence-only method is still dominant in the educational system. Information provision is often scarce, incomplete or incorrect which leads to mixed messages which results in an increasing lack of trust in modern FP methods. The healthcare system has to deal with this distrust and also faces challenges concerning the supply and distribution of contraceptives. Religion, although not significantly associated with intention to use contraceptives, still plays an important role in decision-making in sex-related issues. Knowledge, attitude, fears and cultural or religious norms are all contributing factors to contraceptive uptake and should thereby all be incorporated in policies and programs to increase this uptake. A comprehensive approach is acquired, which includes the home, the school, the healthcare sector, the community and religious groups to discard existing beliefs which obstruct the use of contraceptives.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
The UN Sustainable Development Goals acknowledge ‘that all cultures (…) are crucial enablers of sustainable development’. In academic literature on Africa, however, cultural diversity is analysed...Show moreThe UN Sustainable Development Goals acknowledge ‘that all cultures (…) are crucial enablers of sustainable development’. In academic literature on Africa, however, cultural diversity is analysed as a problem, rather than as an enabler. Africa is either seen as one culturally homogeneous whole or as incredibly diverse and fragmented – there seems to be nothing in-between. Therefore, the picture is incomplete at best. Yet information on culture is used as the basis for assertions on Africa and its problems in economic and other areas. This thesis questions both visions of African cultures, using Vansina’s theory on the autonomy of cultural traditions as its starting point. Methodically, it uses an approach developed in cross-cultural psychology. Cultures are described here as value systems that serve as common points of reference to peoples. Using the cultural dimensions approach of Hofstede and Minkov a new exploratory analysis has been made of current self-perceptions of Africans, using data from the World Values and Afrobarometer surveys. This leads to information on differences and similarities in cultural values between more than 200 ethnolinguistic groups from over 30 African countries. The information has been partly triangulated through Focus Group Discussions in Ghana and in Southern Africa and by comparing information from those countries with ethnographic and other literature. The thesis sheds new light on cultural differences and similarities in Africa. It shows that there are considerable cultural differences within Africa; not all cultures in Africa are equally ‘collectivist’, for example. The essentially Eurocentric shorthand method of equating language with culture cannot be used in Africa: in many cases, cultural areas share different languages; in other cases, one language may be shared by people with different cultures. The thesis shows that such situations may be relatively common in Africa. The thesis calls for a new perspective on African identities and draws attention to the need for rebuilding cultural autonomy, based in African languages.Show less
This thesis is in accordance with the requirements for the completion of the International Relations Master Program. First, the aim of this thesis was to test the existing theory that a failed or...Show moreThis thesis is in accordance with the requirements for the completion of the International Relations Master Program. First, the aim of this thesis was to test the existing theory that a failed or collapsed regime is a necessary component for the presence of a change in witchcraft victimology from elderly women to urban children. This was done by analyzing the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, and Ghana. The second chapter illustrates the state of the art of literature regarding the theories underlying this research, alternative explanations for a shift in victimology, and type of regimes present in African states. The third chapter explains the between-case multi-criterial analysis conducted to ascertain each case’s regime type and the presence (or lack thereof) of a shift in witchcraft victimology. The fourth chapter relays the results of the analysis where it was determined that out of the four cases, two were in accordance with the existing theory, and two refuted it. The fifth and final chapter concludes this thesis by critically examining the results and methodology and a conclusory statement claiming that a collapsed and failed regime is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for the shift in victimology of witchcraft accusations from elderly women to urban children.Show less
This research examines a radio program in Accra, Ghana entitled, “Citi Breakfast Show”, and seeks to discover and investigate the manner in which it positions itself as a watchdog in the media...Show moreThis research examines a radio program in Accra, Ghana entitled, “Citi Breakfast Show”, and seeks to discover and investigate the manner in which it positions itself as a watchdog in the media landscape of Ghana. The research uses the concept of framing to investigate the approach of the talk radio show and its positioning in the media landscape of Ghana. The contribution of listeners to the show is also examined and analysed within the context of the genre of talk radio.Show less
This research analyzes the socioeconomic impact of the implementation of a gas plant in progress in the Nzema region, a territory located in the South-Western Ghana which has around 250,000...Show moreThis research analyzes the socioeconomic impact of the implementation of a gas plant in progress in the Nzema region, a territory located in the South-Western Ghana which has around 250,000 inhabitants. In recent years the oil and gas found in the area have been a significant event in this locality consisting of the State acquisition of part of district territories in the area to launch some energy projects which promises to be revolutionary for the population. Work on the construction of the gas plant has already started in 2011 by means of the Ghana National Gas Company and of the Sinopec, a Chinese company hired by the Ghanaian government. To date, some of the local people in the area have been struggling with the lack of or insufficient compensation for their crops and they are still looking for alternative means of livelihood. Most are demanding corporate social responsibility from the gas companies or at least the opportunity to contribute in a more significant way in the implementation of the project since the main job opportunity in the gas plant is to work as unskilled workers. Directly or indirectly all of the people from surrounding area are strongly affected by the gas plant, and their ways of looking at the project are many and varied.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
De laatste jaren wijzen studies in de antropologie uit dat de handelingen van mijnwerkers beter te verklaren zijn door goud te zien als een substantie in plaats van als een natuurlijke hulpbron....Show moreDe laatste jaren wijzen studies in de antropologie uit dat de handelingen van mijnwerkers beter te verklaren zijn door goud te zien als een substantie in plaats van als een natuurlijke hulpbron. Belangrijk verschil is dat goud als natuurlijke hulpbron uitsluitend wordt behandeld in het economische domein. Een substantie is echter gerelateerd aan de leefwereld van mensen en hierdoor afhankelijk van het domein een andere betekenis genereert. Ook dit onderzoek dat is uitgevoerd in een kleine mijn in het Noorden van Ghana toont aan dat mijnwerkers rationeel handelen echter op basis van andere gronden dan het nastreven van exploitatie van een natuurlijke hulpbron. Ook de handelingen rondom watergebruik in de kleinschalige goudmijnbouw wordt in verband gebracht met dit perspectief. Water en goud moeten beiden worden behandeld als een substantie met als gemeenschappelijke waarde dat goud en water beiden aan de aarde worden onttrokken.Show less
