What is the meaning of blackness in Africa? This title tackles the question of race in West Africa through its post-colonial manifestations. Pierre examines key facets of contemporary Ghanaian society, from the pervasive significance of 'whiteness' to the practice of chemical skin-bleaching to the government's active promotion of Pan-African 'heritage tourism'.

Using the Ghanian schooling experience as a case study, this book explores how research can contribute to the development of a body of knowledge for educational change in Africa. Education in Africa is often said to be in a crisis' caused in part by the colonial legacy, but also due to inappropriate and uncontextualised current educational policies in relation to local human conditions and African realities. This book offers a critical analysis of current educational reform strategies and the actual practice of reform in an African context.'

Ghana, the former British West African colony of the Gold Coast, is known for its rich agricultural, mineral, and petroleum resources. Ghana has made tremendous strides in all areas of life and has become the gateway to West Africa, if not all of Africa. Observers now cite the country’s achievement of economic recovery, political stability, and democratized governance as an example worthy of emulation by other African countries. Historical Dictionary of Ghana, Fifth Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 900 cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the country’s politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Ghana.

Explores the political impacts of ethnic diversity and the growth of the middle class in urban Africa.

In 1957 Ghana became one of the first sub-Saharan African nations to gain independence from colonial rule. Over the next decade, hundreds of African Americans--including Martin Luther King Jr., George Padmore, Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, Richard Wright, Pauli Murray, and Muhammad Ali--visited or settled in Ghana. Kevin K. Gaines explains what attracted these Americans to Ghana and how their new community was shaped by the convergence of the Cold War, the rise of the U.S. civil rights movement, and the decolonization of Africa. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's president, posed a direct challenge to U.S. hegemony by promoting a vision of African liberation, continental unity, and West Indian federation. Although the number of African American expatriates in Ghana was small, in espousing a transnational American citizenship defined by solidarities with African peoples, these activists along with their allies in the United States waged a fundamental, if largely forgotten, struggle over the meaning and content of the cornerstone of American citizenship--the right to vote--conferred on African Americans by civil rights reform legislation.

This volume arises from a cooperation between Ghanaian and German academics. It answers the need to have a more comprehensive and up to date volume which addresses key topics, areas and problems of the Ghanaian education system with a focus on history, policy, and curriculum-related issues. For many years now there have not been new comprehensive publications in this field, and it is necessary to introduce a lot of recent changes in Ghanas education system and reflect about their challenges. The information and positions collected in this volume will be of interest to Policy Makers, Educators, Lecturers, Scholars, Students, Teachers, Parents and other interested people of Ghana and other (West)-African countries. The book will also be of great interest to international scholars who want to understand the Ghanaian education system or are involved in academic projects such as internship, exchange programmes and joint research activities with Ghanaian academics and educational institutions. Akwasi Kwarteng Amoako-Gyampah (PhD) is a senior lecturer in the Department of History Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana and a senior research associate in the Department of History, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Bea Lundt is Prof. (emer.) of History and still teaches at the Europe University Flensburg (Germany). She is also Guest-Professor at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Ghana.

Ghana, the former British colony of the Gold Coast, is historically known for being the first country to the south of the Sahara to attain political independence from colonial rule. It is known for its exports of cocoa and a variety of minerals, especially gold, and it is now an oil exporting country. But Ghana’s importance to the African continent is not only seen in its natural resources or its potential to expand its agricultural output. Rather the nation’s political history of nationalism, the history of military engagement in politics, record of economic depression and the ability to rise from the ashes of political and economic decay is the most unique character of the country. This fourth edition of Historical Dictionary of Ghana covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 900 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Ghana.

Witchcraft violence is a feature of many contemporary African societies. In Ghana, belief in witchcraft and the malignant activities of putative witches is prevalent. Purported witches are blamed for all manner of adversities including inexplicable illnesses and untimely deaths. As in other historical periods and other societies, in contemporary Ghana, alleged witches are typically female, elderly, poor, and marginalized. Childhood socialization in homes and schools, exposure to mass media, and other institutional mechanisms ensure that witchcraft beliefs are transmitted across generations and entrenched over time. This book provides a detailed account of Ghanaian witchcraft beliefs and practices and their role in fueling violent attacks on alleged witches by aggrieved individuals and vigilante groups.

Provides an overview of the history and culture of Ghana, featuring discussion of the country's religion and thought, the arts, cuisine and traditional dress, gender roles, marriage and family, social customs, and lifestyle.

A detailed account of politics in Ghana's urban neighborhoods, providing a new way to understand African democracy and development.