A Mother with Sixteen Children to Raise Growing up in Ghana in the 1970s, my mother taught her eight biological children and eight non-biological children the enduring virtues of self-reliance, hard work, and personal dignity. She was a woman of uncommon wisdom who believed that excessive dependence on others diminished one’s humanity and weakened one’s…
There are stories of academic success, and then there are stories of destiny shaped by personal struggle, sacrifice, and compassion. The remarkable journey of Dr. Amma Adinkrah belongs to the latter category. This past Saturday, Amma Adinkrah, daughter of Dr. Kwame Adinkrah, proudly graduated with the Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree from a prestigious College…
Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwamena is a distinguished and widely respected businessman from Nkwatia in the Kwahu enclave. Though originally from Nkwatia, he was raised in Nkawkaw, where he also began his early education at the elementary level. His academic journey took him through two notable institutions—Mpraeso Secondary School and St. Peter’s Secondary School—both of which…
A Land of Heights and HeritageIn Ghana’s Eastern Region lies Kwahu, a unique and historically rich area known not only for its breathtaking landscape but also for the resilience and enterprise of its people. Often referred to as Asaase Aban—meaning “Natural Fortress”—Kwahu stands out as the highest habitable area in the country, stretching along the…
The world today is full of religions. By merely casting a cursory glance around us, we encounter Christians and Christianity, Hindus and Hinduism, Muslims and Islam, atheists, agnostics, traditionalists, Zionists, Jews and Judaism, Confucianists and Confucianism, Shintos and Shintoism. Religion, as sociologists and comparative cultural anthropologists remind us, is a social institution and a cultural…
Scholars who study society—sociologists, anthropologists, and others—have long observed that religion exists in every known culture. Because of this, religion is often described as a cultural universal. It is not limited to one people or place; it is a shared human experience. In today’s world, religion remains widespread. About 2 billion people identify as Muslims,…
Sociologists define religion as a system of shared beliefs and practices through which people relate to what they consider sacred or supernatural. In simple terms, religion helps people make sense of life, death, and the world beyond what we can see. A Cultural Universal One important idea in sociology is that religion is a cultural…
An observable feature of Ghanaian social life is a recurring tendency toward silence in moments that might otherwise call for resistance or confrontation. Even when individuals experience clear forms of mistreatment, there is often a strong social and cultural pull toward restraint rather than action. People are frequently encouraged to endure, to exercise patience, and…
Introduction The question of whether the criminalization of witchcraft accusations would have any meaningful impact in Ghana requires careful and systematic analysis. At present, witchcraft accusations are largely non-criminal, meaning there are no specific laws prohibiting individuals from accusing others of being witches. As a result, those who make such accusations do not face arrest,…
With colonialism came missionaries who sought to convert Africans to Christianity and, in the process, reshape African ways of life. This encounter was not culturally neutral. It involved a systematic attempt—sometimes subtle, often overt—to redefine African identity, values, and social institutions. While missionary education brought literacy and formal schooling, it also carried profound cultural consequences…
In every society, including Ghana, there exist disabled people living with various forms of disability. These disabilities take many shapes and forms. Some are physical, affecting mobility, sight, hearing, or bodily function. Others are mental or psychological, influencing cognition, emotional regulation, or social interaction. Disability is not confined to any particular group in society; it…
In Ghana, cigarette smoking is strongly gendered. Men smoke; women generally do not. It is relatively rare to see a woman or young girl smoking in public, and when this does occur, it often attracts social disapproval. Women and girls who smoke may be labeled as morally deviant or associated with sex work. This pattern…
Origins and Cultural Heritage Professor Dr. Mensah Adinkrah, Professor of Sociology, Criminology, and Criminal Justice, is a native of Kwahu-Nkwatia in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Kwahu (also rendered as Kwawu) refers both to a geographical area and to a distinct Akan subgroup inhabiting the region. The Kwahu are part of the larger Akan people…
Marxism, as developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, is a theoretical framework that seeks to explain the organization, functioning, and transformation of society, particularly under conditions of capitalism. Class Structure: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat At the center of Marxist analysis is a distinction between two primary social classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie…
“Reparation” as an idea or concept refers to the act of making amends for a wrong or injury—especially by providing compensation, restitution, or other forms of redress to those who have been harmed. In its simplest sense, reparation means “repairing the damage” caused by an injustice. In more formal or scholarly terms, reparation can take…
