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The changing face of Ghanaian culture

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The dynamics of Ghanaian Culture have, over the years, transformed from traditional societal beliefs and customs into a varied infusion of worldviews and styles thus opening up an atmosphere for the proliferation of ideas, newness and avant-garde lifestyles that sometimes are in sharp contrast to conventional practices.

JOT Agyeman explores the changing face of Ghanaian culture.

The antecedents of culture date back for centuries and one has to look at Greek civilization to see how it all begun. In Ghana, culture plays a pivotal role in the sustenance of our society and several ethnic groups have over hundreds of years tried to maintain their beliefs and customs.

Culture has several meanings; these include the qualities of a society, families or even individuals regarded as excellent. It is the inherent quality in the arts, manners or the development and improvement of the mind through constant training. In short, culture is a state of mind.

The challenge however for many is how to maintain and improve upon the quality of that culture. Art pieces from some of the world’s best known artistes Michelangelo, Raphael, Van Gogh have been kept is pristine condition for hundreds of years and their value increases each day. Can Ghana boast of such historical works of its own?

Many ethnic groups have preserved many artifacts but as a Nation what are some of the treasures we have kept? The National Museum is meant to house these treasures but the story is somehow different. The only visible treasures are the forts and castles. These tell a different story, a story of pain and a story of gloom. This is the History of our nation the new generation of Ghanaians do not want to be associated with. How does one liking a slave castle to the seat of government for instance.

Ghanaian Artists like Kofi Antobam, Saka Acquaye and Ablade Glover have sold their works all over the world yet they are relatively unknown in their own country. The story is not different in other areas of our traditions and customs.

Take for instance, Ghanaian ethnic dances? How many of us can dance Adowa, Agbadza, Gao, Damba, Bawa or Kpanlogo? Try asking this generation to dance any of these and you will be mocked at. Nevertheless, the Azonto dance as well as others is sweeping through the country like wildfire. Even the food we eat has changed. Our taste buds crave for fast foods such as French fries, fried rice, Noodles and so on. The more traditional foods are still popular but have to struggle to compete with influences from other cultures. The most telling on our culture is the clothes we wear. Traditional fabric has been confined to a single day of the week, Fridays so we call them Friday wear. What we wear on the other six days of the week, is left for your imagination. The ratio is rather disproportional 1:6.

The dynamism of culture is indeed good for the development of every nation as we learn from each other in an ever expanding global village. Even though we seem to be closer to one another, it looks like culture is taking the brunt of this rapidly changing phenomenon where new trends and styles are replacing our old way of life. Nevertheless, how do we deal with the preservation of these old conventions that keep us as a people? Today, even our names bear a different hallmark. Our traditional names are lost and replaced with make believe; make up names that point many of us in the direction of Russia, Ukraine, Greenland or New Zealand. Quite complex though but true, our identity tags are even infiltrated with foreign ones.

Can we do anything to change the situation we find ourselves in or should we keep the wheel turning in the direction of mixed bagged cultures? Our ancestors may be turning in their graves.

Written by: JOT Agyeman | e. tv Ghana news.

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