What are the factors that create Ghana’s standard of living?

Standard of Living

From the information presented below, I believe Ghana has a medium standard of living. However, I am not entirely confident in my analysis of standard of living. As discussed in earlier posts, I have never traveled outside the U.S. and have had limited contact with other social and cultural environments. There may be a framework for assessing standard of living, but it seems like a subjective term to me at this point. Am I supposed to compare the Ghana’s standard to the U.S., or to other countries which are closer in proximity or closer in culture?

Physical Geography:

Ghana is located in Western Africa between Cote d’Ivoire and Togo, with Burkina Faso to the north. It borders the Gulf of Guinea, which provides accessibility for water travel and the fishing industry. The land is primarily low plains with plateaus in the south-central region.

While the climate is warm and dry on the southeast coast, it is hot and humid in the southwest, and hot and dry in the north. This correlates with environmental factors like the drought in the north that has a negative impact on agriculture. The nation also experiences deforestation, overgrazing, and habitat and wildlife destruction. There is also considerable soil erosion due to harsh northeastern winds from January to March combined with drought. Another major concern that reaches the entire population is water pollution and inadequate potable water supply.

Government System:

The country’s government is a constitutional democracy. Its legal system is a mix of English common law and customary law.

I learned a bit about what customary law means from in this post by Tim Bailey’s blog: http://baileyblogger80.blogspot.com/2012/02/social-justice-in-chiefs-court.html.

The current chief of state and head of government is President John Evans Atta Mills, with Vice President John Dramani Mahama.

Presidential elections are held every four years, with the next election on December 7, 2012. Like in the U.S., the President is eligible for two terms, and the President and Vice President run on the same ticket.  Their cabinet is comprised of a Council of Ministers. There is also a legislative branch with a Parliament, and a judicial branch with a Supreme Court, High Court, Court of appeals, and regional tribunals.

The people elect their President and Vice President through popular vote, which could be considered a freedom. However, the government asserts that homosexuality is illegal in Ghana. This means that there is a lack of freedom for Ghanaians who may otherwise identify as gay, lesbian, and any other non-heteronormative sexual orientation.

Economic System:

Oil production is a new industry for Ghana which started in December 2010. Oil is expected to improve the economy; however, it seems that whenever oil is present a nation experiences some turmoil over power, control, and profit. Sources state that Ghana’s macro-economic practices have improved recently. I am not entirely sure what this means as an individual with little understanding of this field.

2011 estimates state that the gross domestic product was made through services (50.7%), agriculture (28.3%), and industry (21%). The amount of the labor does not reflect the sectors’ product, with 56% working in agriculture, 29% working in services, and 15% working in industry (according to 2005 estimates).

Industries include mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, and small commercial ship building.

History:

Ghana gained its independence from the UK on March 6, 1957.

Different groups of people have lived in the Ghana region over many centuries. The area has an ancient history. Many major civilizations grew and thrived here, and then the British rule began in the early 19^th century. There were resistances, the incorporations of colonies, various leaders, and military coups. According to CIA World Factbook, Ghana is currently considered to have one of the most stable democracies in Africa.

A narrative of dependence has been constructed around Africa and its nations. I am still learning about this, and want to better understand and realize an empowerment narrative for Ghanaians and in this journey there.

Cultural Factors:

Broadcast media includes a state-owned TV station, 2 state-owned radio networks, privately-owned TV stations and a number of privately-owned radio stations.

There are multiple ethnic groups including the Akan, Mole-Dagbon, Ewe, Gurma, and many more.

While English is the official language, many languages are spoken in Ghana.

For religion, 68.8% of the people are Christian, while 15.9% are Muslim, followed by a smaller number of other faiths.

It seems that there are gender norms in Ghana which are aligned with traditional gender roles in the U.S. This means that men are considered the family’s provider, while women’s roles are to nurture.

Ghanaian people are very community-oriented, and live based on collectivist values.

There is a strong tradition of dance and music in relation to community life and bringing people together.

Reference:

CIA The World Factbook-Africa: Ghana. 2011. Author-Central Intelligence Agency. Washington: DC.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gh.html

Thoughts and Feelings around Race and Privilege

My experience with combatting health disparity and reflecting on Trayvon Martin’s murder

I took a class at Rutgers University called “Race Relations” where I was first exposed to the concept of white privilege and the statistics and personal stories surrounding discrimination and racial disparities.

Shortly after this class, I graduated and went for an interview for the position, Family Support Worker, for a public health program aimed to reduce Black infant mortality. I knew that Black infants are twice as likely to die during their first year of life compared to White infants, and I wanted to combat this injustice.

My supervisor, a woman of African American and Chinese descent, spoke with me about race and ethnicity very openly at our first meeting. She thought the job would be a good fit because I was committed to social justice and combatting health disparities. She also felt I had strong, intuitive relational skills that would help me when I visited women and had tough conversations about race with them. As a White middle-class, childless woman, I knew that there were stark differences between me and the women, but I believed in the work and really enjoyed working with women and families.

The program was aimed to educate, create awareness, and provide support to women and the greater community around this issue. I visited low-income, pregnant women who voluntarily participated in the program. They were African American mostly. I expanded the program to African women who had recently immigrated to the U.S. when I learned through research that after a generation of living in the U.S., African immigrants began to lose their infants at the same rate as African Americans.

My clients and I discussed Black infant mortality, the injustice of the health disparities, racism, sexism, and classism. Women allowed me to come into their homes every month to visit, hear about their lives, and listen to their concerns and questions about their pregnancy, health care, and other concerns. I came from an empowerment framework, where the women were the experts, but I would share information and resources that could assist them with their goals. I taught them how to navigate the health care system, and how to advocate for themselves when working with health care professionals. It was extremely important to me for their voices to be heard. During my time with them, women learned or enhanced their skills and improved their own health care services through their own advocacy.

I had awesome experiences with the women in the program. Simultaneously, I struggled at times in the program because some professionals expressed anger towards me in my role because I am White.

People said to me:

                “You shouldn’t have that job. A Black woman should have that job.”

                “Why do you care about black infant mortality?”

I did not know how to respond to these statements. I think I now have better skills and perspective to talk about these issues and explore the source and feelings behind the reactions and responses. Before, I felt too intimidated and upset to respond when these reactions happened. Now I think I would validate and support, while trying to learn and understand.  

When I learned about the murder of Trayvon Martin, I was horrified. I followed what happened to see if justice would come for him and his family. However, as I learned more about Florida’s self-defense law and how absurdist and cruel its implications were in this situation, I lost hope and stopped following the news.

I now work with survivors of family violence and sexual assault. I co-facilitate a support group and provide one-on-one counseling. I somewhat felt like I needed to shield myself from any more trauma than what I am already exposed to in my professional life.

At a first glance, I felt that this is why I was able to tune out Trayvon Martin’s murder and its impact on others, until I came to class last Thursday. I then began to think about how I had the privilege of tuning out the horror because it did not directly affect me. This was another manifestation of white privilege.  This realization in itself horrified me. Thus, I began to write this post, speak more about the issue in my daily life, and bring it up to people even when it seemed to create discomfort for them. I think that there is an inherent privilege in being able to do these things as well, but I was compelled.

Today I answered the invitation to write on the paper hung in the Social Work lobby by asking others, “What will help us heal?”. I look forward to any response.

Thanks for reading. I am open to and appreciate any feedback.

Sincerely,
Caitlin

What are Ghana's demographics?

Analysis and further questions  

Population and Profile:

According to the CIA World Factbook, Ghana’s total population is 25,241,998. Its age structure is relatively young. 95.6% of the population is 64 years and younger.

0-14 years: 36.5%

15-64 years: 60%

65+ years: 3.6%

Birth, Death Rate and Life Expectancy:

The birth rate is higher than the death rate, which means that the population is growing.

Birth rate: 26.99 births/1,000 population

Death rate: 8.57 deaths/1,000 population

The age of life expectancy is low. Women are expected to live a few years longer than men, which is common in many countries.

Life expectancy at birth: total population-61.45 years

Male: 60.22 years

Female: 62.73 years  

Literacy rate (age 15 and over can read and write):

In my research, I learned that there are large disparities in education level between men and women in Ghana. The difference in literacy rates illustrates the gap that men and women experience in educational opportunity and attainment.

Total population: 57.9%

Male: 66.4%

Female 49.8%

Major causes of death:

It seems that diarrhea (as a result of poor sanitation) and malaria are two main causes of death for Ghanaians.

Major Exports and Imports:

The two major exports are gold and cocoa, along with others to a lesser degree, including: timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds, and horticulture. Imports include capital equipment, petroleum, and foodstuffs.

Note: 1) I have heard that diamond-mining is a terrible trade for Ghanaians, but I know little beyond that. 2) The term foodstuffs is disconcerting to me. I do not think these qualify as “whole” foods, which mean they have significantly less nutritional value.

Population living below poverty line:

According to 2007 data in CIA World Factbook, 28.5% of the population lives below the poverty line. I wonder how the poverty line is defined in Ghana compared to how we conceptualize poverty in the U.S. More than a quarter of the population seems to be quite a large portion to be living in poverty, which means they lack access to basic necessities. However, the source notes that in the last 25 years, Ghana’s economy has strengthened, resulting in sustained reductions in poverty.

Unemployment rate (urban versus rural, north versus south):

According to 2000 data from CIA World Factbook, the unemployment rate in the nation is 11%. In 2011, the labor force was estimated at 10.77 million, while the population was estimated at 25,241,998 for July 2012. How would this data then be interpreted?

For north versus south, there is greater unemployment in the north versus the south. The small landholders and those who provide labor for them make up a half of the workforce. It seems that there are less jobs in the north, which is why people are moving towards the south, where the urban areas are.

Average educational attainment:

Ghanaians participate in an average of 10 years of primary to tertiary education. This is higher for males, who receive 11 years, while females receive 10 years. This is consistent with the research that states that girls have lower educational attainment, accompanied by lower opportunity of education.

Typical Housing:

In the Greater Accra area, the 2000 census data showed that the average household size was 4.6 people. The average number of rooms in a house was 2.4. This means that an average of 2 people occupied a room.  

Internet and cell phone users:

5.12% of the population uses the internet (1.297 million users in 2009 of total population-25,241,998). A greater number of the population use mobile phone with 69% of users (17.436 million in 2010 of total population-25,241,998).

References:

http://census.gov/ipc/www/idb/pyramids.html

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gh.html

http://ghanadistricts.com/region/?r=1&sa=90

http://www.modernghana.com/news/184685/1/preventing-malaria-the-leading-cause-of-death-in-g.html

Promoting Human Rights of Ghanaian Children

In her article, “New Laws, Old Values: Indigenous Resistance to Children’s Rights in Ghana”, Janice Windborne describes how despite Ghana's role as the first country to sign the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, Ghanaian children still struggle to realize those rights decades later.

Windborne states that in the dialogue around human rights, Westerners hold the belief that human rights are universal and belong to every individual. Conversely, citizens of developing nations believe in cultural relativity or that individuals cannot be separate from their culture and human rights must be defined within that culture. She poses questions about children’s human rights: “Does the child have human rights independent of the needs, desires, and values of the parent? Or does the child belong first to the community and the family with rights only flowing through those relationships?”

Windborne goes on to describe that Ghanaian children remain unpaid workers whose rights are subsumed beneath the needs of the family. Children are resigned to their powerlessness before the will of adults. This will continue, until poverty is alleviated at a certain level.

Along with their new constitution in 1992, Ghana created the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, which would uphold the UN Convention through protecting children. However, Windborne notes that simultaneously Ghana was mandated by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to restructure its economy. Structural adjustments included major cutbacks, layoffs, and currency devaluation. Consequently, Ghanaian families experienced economic pressure which forced many to migrate to urban areas for work, as the cost of living also increased. More children worked to provide for families, and in order for older children to go to school, younger ones were denied the opportunity. Also many children had to go live with family members in distant regions in order to find work. When separated from their families, the children had decreased support from their families. There is also the ongoing disparity between boys and girls educational attainment and the roles that girls play in caring for their families and being denied educational opportunity.

The government has not adjusted policies and practices to address the social and economic problems which deny children human rights of education and empowerment. Younger children compete with older for their rights, while girls compete with boys for their rights, and children collectively compete with the family’s livelihood and the economy for their rights.

As a UT student in partnership with Ghanaian development, I consider how the boys and young men at Hope Boy’s Home are impacted by the issues described by Windborne. The children there are fostered because their parents have developmental disabilities and are unable to support them.

The boys live independently from their families and may not necessarily face the same powerlessness within their family dynamics, yet may still reckon with a sense of powerlessness. I do not know this for sure though, and imagine that each child’s situation is unique. However, living in community foster home away from traditional family support presents its own challenges. I have been told that the Hope Home has become a large family for the boys, with a strong community of caregivers, role models, and adults who care for the boys as families do for each other. I am also aware that the boys attend school, and the young men currently work to save money for high school, or currently attend high school. Ms. Rosie explained that the young men are extremely serious about obtaining their education and spend most of their time studying and preparing for school. The Convention on the Rights of the Child states that human rights include education, and children’s rights to receive love and understanding from their family. It seems that the foster home creates an environment which supports the boys’ educational attainment and healthy emotional development.

In relation to the mentorship program, I find an incredible amount of hope in the promotion of human rights through the empowerment of the children. The program provides opportunities for the children to feel loved and supported and helps them to develop their hopes and dreams, and to realize them. It is a sincere privilege to contribute to this program and its promotion of human rights for children.  

Read the Convention on the Rights of the Child here: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm

Reference

Windborne, J. (2006). New laws, old values: Indigenous resistance to children’s rights in Ghana. Atlantic Journal of Communication. 14(3), 156-172.

Connections Between Child Migration and Education

I chose to read the article, “Independent Child Migration and Education in Ghana” because of the service learning project at Hope Community Boys’ Home. In speaking with PhD student, Rosie, who lived at Hope for 3 weeks, I learned that one young man she met had migrated to Accra to serve as a ‘house boy’. It sounded like he had a poor experience and moved into Hope as a result. I wanted to learn more about children’s migration experiences and the accompanying opportunities and disadvantages.  

In the article, Iman Hashim interviewed young people who had independently migrated from rural farms of Northeastern Ghana to rural and urban areas of Central and Southern Ghana. He describes connections between migration and access to formal and non-formal education.

Firstly, education in Ghana is made up of nine years of free, compulsory, basic education. Students can go on to senior secondary schools for a fee, if they qualify through examinations. School fees vary, but are considered expensive, especially for those with low income. Hashim states that one factor in a child’s enrollment in school is the family’s perceived benefit of securing well-being for the household. He writes that a senior secondary school certificate is mostly necessary to obtain formal job. A family must believe that a child will succeed and contribute to the household, since the family is investing so much in the education.

Hashim goes on to describe Northeastern Ghanaian families in intensive farming villages. Some families determine that work is more appropriate than formal education for their child (and is also seen as age-appropriate behavior for children). Hashim states that although there is need for a child to contribute labor and to teach them skills for adulthood, labor is also a process of enculturation into roles in the domestic economy and wider community. Furthermore, children are usually included in conversations about their migration. Younger children (7-13) are usually sent at the request for labor from a migrant relative, or to be cared for elsewhere. Older children (13-18) often choose to seek opportunities to maximize their welfare and livelihood, by moving elsewhere.

While some children may migrate for educational opportunity, there were negative outcomes, which include the risk of exposure to abusive and exploitative working conditions. Also, Hashim describes a trend in which children migrated to fill a labor void in a relative’s household. The filled labor gap allowed the relative’s children to fulfill their own educational aspirations.

Hashim’s research states that some positive aspects of migration are related to educational and training opportunities. Migration may allow a child to earn money to pay for school or an apprenticeship. Children may also be afforded support for going to school in exchange for the labor.

He states that a range of factors impact on the linkages between children’s independent migration and education, and the effects of migration on education are very context-specific. Migration may offer a greater opportunity for education for some, while others leave school in order to migrate for work.

This article has compelled me to consider the differences in concepts of education versus work and how these ideas vary between the U.S. and Ghana. The U.S. has laws which protect children from work through child labor laws. In order to understand this concept in Ghanaian culture, the next article I will review will be “New Laws, Old Values: Indigenous Resistance to Children’s Rights in Ghana” by Janice Windborne.  

Reference

Hashim, Iman. (2007). Independent child migration and education in Ghana. 

Development and Change. 38(5): 911–931.

Education for All

In his article, ”Lifelong learning and the attainment of the education-related Millenium Development Goals 2 and 3 in Ghana. Is there a critical nexus?”, Michael Tagoe from the University of Ghana, asserts that Ghana requires a lifelong learning policy and practice. He states that although Ghana has seen an increase in school enrollments, there are continuing disparities in enrollment and completion, and a lag in girls’ progress compared to their male counterparts.

He recommends a combination of formal and non-formal learning, and creation of programs that promote post-primary education. This will provide children, youth, and adults with the opportunities for successful lifelong learning. Informal learning is necessary to instill the value of education in young Ghanaians. This will ultimately improve the skills and competences of Ghanaian citizens.

One framework to address poverty and education on a global scale was the United Nations' Millenium Development Goals in 2000. These goals were a series of international development objectives to be achieved by 2015. MDG Goals 2 and 3 addressed education.

·         Goal2 was to “achieve universal primary education by ensuring that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling”.

·         Goal 3 was to “promote gender equality and empower women”. This goal’s education target was to eliminate gender disparity in primary, secondary, and tertiary education by 2005, and in all levels by 2015.

Another framework for improved educational standards was Ghana’s 1992 Constitution which states that all persons shall have the right to equal educational opportunities and facilities with a view to achieve the full realization of that right. According to Tagoe, Ghana has worked to fulfill this by raising quality of teaching, improving access and retention, and increasing female school participation.

Despite both frameworks and efforts to follow them, educational disparities persist, specifically according to Ghana’s geography. There are geographic disparities of poverty, and thus, education and basic services. The northern savannah regions (Upper East, Upper West, and Northern Regions) and the Central Region experience higher levels of poverty.

Tagoe goes on to state that lifelong learning must be emphasized in order to combat persistent educational disparities. Lifelong learning recognizes and promotes the multiplicity of learning in life through family, schools, vocational training universities, the work place, and in the community.

However, lifelong learning requires a strategy and policies framework to provide some vision and structure for levels of education and training.  This requires strategies and policies in the education sector that promote lifelong learning-contexts, experiences, and competencies.  Ultimately, Tagoe believes that this process will foster and create access to a flexible learning system, which will improve the nation’s skills and competences to promote development and reduce poverty.

From Tagoe’s article, lifelong learning is a concept that is a natural element to daily life. Yes, it order to have meaning, the learning must be intentional. There must be a way to measure the learning to ensure that it is occurring and being realized by Ghanaians. I am curious to know if the term “lifelong learning” is something that most of the population can relate to and whether or not people would state that they participate in this concept as described by Tagoe.

Ghana Maymester peers-do you have any insight on this or further questions about Tagoe’s article?

Reference

Tagoe, M. (2011). Lifelong learning and the attainment of the education-related Millenium Development Goals 2 and 3 in Ghana. Is there a critical nexus? International Journal of Lifelong Education. 30 (1), 19-35. doi: 10.1080/02601370.2011.538191



Collective Me: The social constructs, relationships, and experiences that have shaped my identity

Race

Race has been an influential, and sometimes invisible, force in shaping my identity. In my study of social justice, I have learned that privilege and oppression is organized according to race in the U.S. I recognize the privilege I have experienced as a white, middle-class person with educational opportunity. With this in mind, I strive to embrace a multicultural, color-conscious approach to difference and disparity. My goal through this program is to have a better understanding and awareness of history and the impact of discrimination.

For a deeper look at white and male privilege, I recommend Peggy McIntosh’s essay “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” (http://nymbp.org/reference/WhitePrivilege.pdf).

Sisterhood

My two sisters, Allie and Hannah, are the two reasons I would consider moving to my home state, New Jersey. My connection to them gives me true faith in vulnerability and compassion. Beyond my blood relatives, kinship with other women is very fulfilling and revitalizing for me. Women’s and gender empowerment and the practice of finding and reclaiming our voices is vital to empowerment and livelihood.

Positive community participation

My family culture is very community-oriented. My parents are both public school teachers in the same district. They have devoted a total of 70 years in their collective lifetimes to advocate for better education for their students. They serve as positive role models for students and parents, alike. As modeled by my parents, I aspire to make effective change in the communities where I live and encourage the participation of others.

Nationality

As an American who has never traveled abroad, I know I must have a limited world view. I have minimal interaction with immigrants who do not speak English, although I attempt to use my high school Spanish education. I have also had limited opportunity to interact with citizens of other countries. I am not entirely aware of the thoughts and behaviors that are imbedded in my mentality. However, I want my American ideas to be challenged in order to understand their effects.

Music & Dance

Creative expression through music and dance has been a strong influence on my identity. It motivates me to connect with people in different ways. Sometimes movement and sounds convey meaning and feeling that words alone cannot. I look forward to opportunities to learn about Ghanaian music and dance culture to expand my ways of connecting with others.

My overarching personal goal for the Ghana Maymester and Social Work:

Courage

In her TED Talks lecture, "The Power of Vulnerability", Brene Brown states, “The original definition of courage in the English language was to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart.” She goes on to say that the courage to be imperfect allows people to be authentic. For me, I have to practice being courageous in order to be authentic to make connections within myself and with others. This is where I will find the deepest learning, which will enable me to truly be an effective social worker. Ultimately, learning about my own identity and others’ identities requires that I be open-minded, self-aware, and participatory in the search for knowledge and understanding.

Thanks for reading!
Please let me know if you have any questions or want to discuss any items I have shared.

Also, if you have 20 minutes to spare, I suggest watching Brene Brown's compelling lecture.