Handbook for Host Families of Ghanaian Participants January 2010 2 Table of Contents Foreword ............................................................................................................................................. 4 Objectives of Handbook .................................................................................................................. 4 Ghanaian Culture Quiz ........................................................................................................................ 5 Answers to Ghanaian Culture Quiz ................................................................................................. 6 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 8 What is Culture? .............................................................................................................................. 8 The Cultural Iceberg ........................................................................................................................ 8 Generalizations and Stereotypes .................................................................................................. 10 Culture and Perception ................................................................................................................. 12 Food and Meals ................................................................................................................................ 14 Schools and Educational System ...................................................................................................... 16 Boarding Schools .......................................................................................................................... 16 Other Differences .......................................................................................................................... 17 The Student/Teacher Relationship ................................................................................................ 18 Parental Involvement .................................................................................................................... 18 Communication Styles ...................................................................................................................... 19 Use of English ............................................................................................................................... 19 Linear and Circular Communication Styles ................................................................................... 20 Greetings ...................................................................................................................................... 21 About Names ................................................................................................................................ 21 Nonverbal Communication ............................................................................................................ 23 Family Life ......................................................................................................................................... 24 Individualism versus Collectivism .................................................................................................. 24 Gender Roles and Status .............................................................................................................. 25 Family Makeup .............................................................................................................................. 25 Expectations for Children .............................................................................................................. 26 Daily Life ....................................................................................................................................... 26 Teen Behavior Issues ................................................................................................................... 28 Dating and Marriage ...................................................................................................................... 28 Prejudice and Discrimination ............................................................................................................. 29 Cultural Identification......................................................................................................................... 30 Personal Appearance ........................................................................................................................ 32 Scarification .................................................................................................................................. 33 Health and Well-being ....................................................................................................................... 34 Personal Hygiene and Grooming .................................................................................................. 35 Hair and Skin Care ........................................................................................................................ 35 A Special Note for Girls ................................................................................................................. 35 A Special Note for Boys ................................................................................................................ 36 Time, Space and Privacy .................................................................................................................. 36 Time .............................................................................................................................................. 36 Space and Privacy ........................................................................................................................ 38 Religion and Spiritualism ................................................................................................................... 39 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................... 43 Appendix A ........................................................................................................................................ 44 Religion ......................................................................................................................................... 44 Communication ............................................................................................................................. 49 Appendix B – References and Further Reading ................................................................................ 50 Appendix C – The Country of Ghana ................................................................................................ 52 Appendix E – More Ghanaian Proverbs and Symbols ...................................................................... 57 Appendix F – YES Cultural Tips Sheet ............................................................................................. 58 3 Foreword Thank you for volunteering to welcome a young student from Ghana into your home, family, and community! The coming months will present a multitude of learning opportunities for both you and your participant. Objectives of Handbook This Handbook for Host Families of Ghanaian Participants is dedicated and directed toward you, the host family. You represent one of the indispensable ingredients required for our international exchange programs to be successful. The information contained here will also be shared with exchange program support volunteers so that they too will better understand the Ghanaian student’s world view and will be able to provide culturally sensitive and appropriate support to both the hosted student and the host family. Awareness of the existence of cultural differences and how to deal with these differences can have a profoundly positive impact on the quality of your relationship with your participant and on your entire family’s hosting experience. To this end, this handbook is designed to help you learn about both the Ghanaian and U.S. culture by examining a number of cultural topics which are in strong contrast with each other. We hope that you will find these to be especially interesting and informative: Traditions and rituals. Key differences between the U.S. and Ghanaian school systems. Predominant communication styles in the U.S.A. and Ghana. The general Ghanaian and U.S. American views on concepts such as time, space and privacy. Ghanaian family structure, rules, etc. Ghanaian cultural norms regarding personal appearance, religion, etc. And of course, you are not expected to read through this entire Handbook in one sitting! At first you will probably want to familiarize yourself with its contents, read intensively those areas of special interest and then, during the coming weeks, to continue to refer back to the various topics as situations occur. We hope that you will enjoy yourselves as you and other family members join together with your Ghanaian student in a journey of self- and cultural discovery. 4 Ghanaian Culture Quiz Perhaps you already know a lot about Ghanaian culture. Or maybe you only know a little. In either case, you may find the following questions interesting. After you have taken the quiz, check the answers which follow. Regardless of whether you got the answer right or wrong, you’ll want to read the sections referenced in