The Rebels Within: an Analysis of First Generation
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University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh THE REBELS WITHIN: AN ANALYSIS OF FIRST GENERATION EDUCATED WOMEN IN GHANA, A STUDY OF KYEBI. BY ABOABEA GERTRUDE AKUFFO (10274269) THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF A MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY DEGREE. JULY 2015 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DECLARATION I Aboabea Gertrude Akuffo do hereby declare that this thesis is the result of my own work, conducted at the Department of Sociology, University of Ghana, Legon, under the joint supervision of Dr. Akosua K. Darkwah and Dr. Fidelia Ohemeng. All references have been duly acknowledged. I also declare that as far as I know, this thesis has not been published nor presented to any academic institution for an academic award. ------------------------------- Aboabea Gertrude Akuffo Student ------------------------------- Date -------------------------------- Dr. Akosua Keseboa Darkwah Principal Supervisor ------------------------------ Date ------------------------------ Dr. Fidelia Ohemeng Co-Supervisor ----------------------------- Date i University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my parents: My dad Mr. Daniel Akuffo and my mum Georgina Birago Frempong. ii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS I extend my earnest heartfelt appreciation to God for his wisdom, unstoppable favor and guidance in my life throughout the period of this work. This thesis would not have been possible without the support of many individuals and it is my pleasure to thank those who made this research possible. First and foremost, I am heartily thankful to my principal supervisor Dr. Akosua K. Darkwah. You have been an inspiration throughout my academic journey. Your encouragement, guidance, constructive feedback and support from the initial to the final stages enabled me to develop an understanding of the subject. I approached this research with much anxiety and trepidation, and it would have been very challenging had it not been for your constant encouragement. Your contributions, detailed comments and insight have been of great value to me. You were always there for me whenever I was in need of support. Thank you, Dr. for the understanding and the never-ending support you extended throughout my research journey. Your hard-working attitude inspired me and gave me the streng th to move on; I would have been lost without you. I am also grateful to Dr. Fidelia Ohemeng. Your supervisory role also helpedv me ery much. You read through all my work and I am grateful for your insightful comments. Thank you for your constant reminde rs every time we met. I would like to show my gratitude to the research participants who generously gave me their time and shared their views, thoughts and their life experience s. I am also particularly grateful to the following people: Madam Sophia Dua-Sakyi, Hon Simon Peter Asirifi, Mrs. Evelyn Darkoah Asihene, Nana Bra Kwante Agyeman (Okyehene Menatofuo), Mr. E. O. Baah (Secretary, iii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Okyehenene's Palace), Mr. Kofi Gyimah Amoako Gyimah, Madam Mary Agyapomaa Apietu, Mrs Beatrice Akuffo, Mr. Eric Aboagye Agyeman, Mr. Frank Kofi Botchway, Madam Nana Koranteng, Madam Lucy Banes, Mrs. Rhodeline Baffour Gyimah and Mr. Amenuvor Gawu. Your ceaseless assistance made this work a success. I appreciate Rev. Mr and Mrs. Ebenezer Ducker for helping to manage situations at home so I could concentrate on completing this study. I am further deeply indebted to the head of Department, Dr. Dan Bright Dzorbgor. You devoted your valuable time to discuss my preliminar y proposal and advised me accordingly. I have also benefited from many discussions with Dr. James Dzisah and I am grateful. I would like to take the opportunity to say thank you to Dr. Mark Obeng, you helped me clarify some of my thoughts anytime I met you at the department. Earlier versions of my proposal benefited from discussions following its pre sentation at the seminar at the Department of Sociology on 15th October, 2015). I am thankful for such an opportunity the department offers. I extend my gratitude to all the faculty members and staff. I extend my gratitude to my friends and colleagues at the sociology department, I appreciate everything especially the discussions, the debates and the fights. I would also like to thank my parents Mr. Daniel Akuffo and Madam Georgina B. Frempong for giving me the opportunity of education and my siblings especially Kofi Akuffo Ogoe and Nana Kofi Akuffo Addo, for their constant support throughout this journey. Certainly this list cannot be complete if I do not mention the support of Paa Kofi Ofori-Atta. Thank you for being a friend in these times. iv University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ABSTRACT The current debate about understanding the changes in global educational patterns has led to much documentation on the subject. Scholars who have studied this have served us with more macro explanations than micro level politics. The study therefore takes as its focus, the understanding of the tensions, contentions and negotiations that underlay the everyday decisions (of who receives education) as an arena of micro politics and choice as a form of everyday power. Drawing on the data, collected using an in-depth interview and informal conversations with 30 participants from Kyebi, the inquiry explores an understanding of other determinants of who gets educated as an alternative to the conservative traditional structural approach. I analysed the da ta within the framework of Stephen Lukes‟ Concept of Power and James Scott theory of resistance and themes were generated accordingly. The findings suggest that the key decision makers around enrollment and non-enrollment decisions of the FGEW were their fathers. The mothers, whose daughters were affected by non-enrolment decisions resisted through covert and overt means. It was also uncovered that the mothers of the First Generation Educated Women in Ghana (FGEW) resisted by drawing alliances which served as situations enabling and constraining political actions. The findings further suggest that, children took part in the politics of resistance passively and actively. Gate keepers also played crucial role with respect to who got educated and who did no t. A study that looks at both macro level explanations and how families respond to it at the micro level concurrently will be useful in painting a proper picture of how the two eint rsect. The study further recommends that since macro-level factors is but one of just the many determinants of education, aside a different family political contexts, policy makers should find ways of mediating the complex relationship be tween these two spaces in any educational policy, aimed at ensuring quality education for all. v University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................................. i DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS ...........................................................................................................................iii ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................................................x LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................ xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................................. 1 OVERVIEW OF THE EFFORTS MADE AT ENSURING EDUCATION FOR ALL AT THE GLOBAL, NATIONAL AND FAMILY LEVELS ...................................................................................... 1 1.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Statement of Problem ....................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 General Objective ............................................................................................................................. 7 1.2.1 Specific Objectives ................................................................................................................... 7 1.2.2 Central Research Question........................................................................................................ 8 1.3 Definition of Terms .......................................................................................................................... 8 1.3.1 Decision Makers ....................................................................................................................... 8 1.3.2 Gatekeepers ..............................................................................................................................