15 results for “Funerals”
One of the most important features of Akan religious and funeral traditions is the pouring of libation, known in Twi as nsaguo or mpaeyie. The word nsaguo literally means the pouring of an alcoholic d
Conspicuous Consumption and the Funeral Arena The term “conspicuous consumption” was coined by the American economist and sociologist Thorstein Veblen in his classic work The Theory of the Leisure Cl
For centuries, Ghana has stood at the crossroads of global cultural encounters. Long before the modern era of globalization, the land now called Ghana was already a bustling center of trade and intera
The Volta Region of Ghana Location and Geography The Volta Region is one of the most culturally rich and geographically diverse regions of Ghana. Located in the eastern part of the country, it share
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
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, reli
Introduction Adinkra cloth is one of the most important traditional textiles of Ghana and a significant cultural expression among the Akan people, particularly the Asante. Unlike Kente cloth, which is woven, Adinkra cloth is made by stamping symbolic designs onto fabric using special dyes. The cloth
Among the Akan people of Ghana, pouring libation is one of the most important traditional religious practices. It is a solemn ritual through which people communicate with the spiritual world. The act symbolizes reverence for the ancestors, recognition of the Supreme Being, and a request for protecti
In every society, there are culturally accepted symbols of success. There are also culturally approved means for attaining these symbols of success. These aspirations and goals form what can be called a society’s “dream.” In the same way that some people speak of their national dream, it is possible
A taboo is an act so deeply forbidden that it provokes moral outrage, fear, or spiritual anxiety when violated. Taboos are cultural universals: every society draws invisible lines that must not be crossed. Yet these lines are not the same everywhere. What one society condemns as unthinkable may be o
Among the Akan people of southern Ghana, funerals are more than ceremonies—they are profound cultural, spiritual, and social events that reflect the community’s understanding of life, death, and the afterlife. Central to Akan beliefs is the conviction that life continues after death. While the body
No one is born with knowledge. Human beings are born with the capacity to learn, but what they eventually know—how they speak, think, behave, believe, and interpret the world—is acquired from society. Knowledge, values, attitudes, and skills are socially produced and socially transmitted. By the tim
In many Ghanaian communities, accusations of witchcraft generate intense moral outrage and social hostility. Persons believed to be malevolent witches are frequently subjected to verbal abuse, physical assault, forced displacement, and, in extreme cases, extrajudicial killing (Adinkrah, 2004, 2015).
Newspapers occupy an important place in Ghanaian society. Long before the rise of social media and online news platforms, newspapers were the primary source of information for the public. Even today, despite digital competition, newspapers continue to serve critical social, political, educational, a
In Ghana, success is loudly celebrated, quietly envied, and endlessly debated. Yet, beneath the noise of social media displays, church testimonies, political slogans, and family expectations lies a deeper question we rarely pause to ask ourselves honestly: what does success truly mean to you? Not to