The Culture And Customs Of Ghana

In the form of African culture, the country Ghana has its own definitive form that is somehow similar with other African country’s culture but different in various elements. This is why it is the most intrinsic characteristic of Ghananese culture; with its deployment of systems, structures and social elements, it is set apart from other African cultures. But what should be given importance is its original context, which also sprung from the African importance of culture. According to Steven J. Salm and Toyin Falola (2002), “Africans regard culture as essential to

From the 1500s to the 1700s, African blacks, mainly from the area of West Africa (today's Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Dahomey, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon) were shipped as slaves to North America, Brazil, and the West Indies. For them, local and tribal differences, and even varying cultural backgrounds, soon melded into one common concern for the suffering they all endured. Music, songs, and dances as well as remembered traditional food, helped not only to uplift them but also quite unintentionally added immeasurably to the culture around them. In the approximately 300 years that blacks have made their homes in North America, the West Indies, and Brazil, their highly honed art

Both power and relationships are revealed in dress, uniform and costumes” (p.349). Clothing can bind a community together by wearing similar garments. Zitkala-Sa uses clothing to indicate the relationship she has with her tribe so when she is forced to remove them, she loses a part of her family as well.

Clothing styles have always had a close connection to developments in clothing creation. The two are inextricably linked by public demand, fabric availability, and the wealth of people to afford them. Even back to the Industrial Revolution and Renaissance, when people began to have more clothing choices, one can see the relationship between what the people need or want and what the manufacturers create.

“Remotely Global: Village Modernity in West Africa” by Charles Piot is a book based on the lives of the people of the remote village called Kabre located in Northern Togo. The author discusses the “vernacular modernity” of the people of Kabre village that has been influenced by a long tradition of encounters with outsiders that included the colonialists. The author provides an in-depth analysis with ethnographic details about the Kabre people as the author discusses a wide range of their culture and history that included houses and the structure of homestead, gender ideology, ritual like initiations, exchange system, and social relations (Piot 178).

The film ‘T-shirt Travels’ takes us to the Sub-Saharan African nation of Zambia, a country who in the 1960’s was know for having a thriving, domestic textile industry. As of late, with the countries immense amount of debt and the constant nagging of their creditors, such as the IMF, Zambia’s local economy has deteriorated and the textile industry has vanished. However, there is another issue present that has also contributed to the decline of Zambia’s economy: the second-hand clothing industry. All three of these factors; immense debt, hassling creditors, and the second-hand clothing industry, as seen in the film, are contributing to the crash of a once thriving Zambian economy.

This essay deals with the nature of a cross cultural encounter between the Benin people and Portuguese traders in the 15th and 16th centuries, which resulted in the depiction of Portuguese figures in Benin brass plaques. It will propose that this contact between people with different cultures was on the basis of 'mutual regard' (Woods, K. 2008, p. 16), and although the Portuguese had qualms about idolatry in Benin it will show that assumptions by Europeans up to the 20th century of the primitive nature of tribal African societies was inaccurate with regard to the Benin people, who had a society based on the succession of the King or 'Oba', a Royal Family and Nobility. The essay will finally suggest that Benin’s increase in wealth following

The discussion on Kenyan fashion has a high prevalence of cultural layers that we can see will differ amongst the different social classes. African fashion in the modern world today is primarily used as a large example in discussing the manipulations of fashion because of the westernizing movement in cultural appropriation. Due to the fact that a large number of people in the western hemisphere are using cultural African apparel to suit their fashionista tastes, African women are therefore put in a position where they feel they must uphold the authenticity of such styles; as they feel pressurized in preserving their culture from appropriation. Fashion among middle class Kenyan women in urban areas and women living in other urban areas in Africa,

The variety of styles worn across various cultures reveals something about the social codes. The textual codes can be seen in how clothing is advertised, and what this means across the various cultures whether it serves to individualize some or unite others plays

Benin history is recorded with no composed documentation. A great many generations have gone down the historical backdrop of the Benin individuals orally. This has been strengthened by pictorial pictures in Benin workmanship and likenesses. Models of Obas, Benin Queens, and Queen Mothers, these notwithstanding regular pictures of Benin life, change scenes et cetera, are spoken to in their authentic tastefulness. Nothing unexpected then to see when the Portuguese arrived and turned into a piece of that history, they were delineated in their bizarre garments, weapons and ordinary interests, for example, chasing, (British Museum). It is surprising to note that the greater part of these craftsmanship pieces are by obscure craftsman, even with only

The textile industry in Ghana before 2000 was blossoming and a very attractive business venture. The textile industries in Ghana used traditional designs and making the textiles. Ghana textiles were unique in designs because the designs were traditional and local.

Researching and learning about history can help resolve recurring issues that may take place in all cultures. Studying a nation’s culture can help you understand what they were like centuries ago and how they may look centuries from now. A culture’s history can define their past, explain their present, and pave the way to their future. Each culture has its own unique story, but Nigeria’s is even more special. Nigeria’s history has shaped the culture into what it has become today.

There are many features that make up a culture all over the world. Culture can be defined as the characteristics, attitudes, knowledge and beliefs of a group of people. A culture can make up of religion, food, interaction, lifestyle, language and more, which is brought about through socialization. These aspects distinguish the different cultures. Learning and exploring new cultures can give a new outlook on life, and sometimes make one appreciate their own. I explored the Yoruba culture, their religion, holidays, relationships and family life, death, and social problems. Their culture is an interesting one, with similarities and differences to my own as an American.

My topic focuses on all aspects of Ethiopia, this includes cultural and religious practices that Ethiopians practice every day. I believe it is important to educate others about Ethiopia so that they can be culturally competent. We live in a country that is known as the melting pot; this melting pot includes individuals from different countries with different cultures and religions. Within the melting pot, there are many Ethiopians. Around the United States, individuals are beginning to be more aware and knowledgeable about Ethiopia and Ethiopians; for example, Ethiopian cuisines are beginning to be very popular in the United States, and there has been an increase in Ethiopian restaurants around the United States.

The African textile industry dates back to as far as 5,000 B.C when the Egyptians engaged in cloth making; their clothing were simple, and did not differ a lot between social classes. A fast-forward to the times when the African empires of Ghana and Mali reigned shows particular colors and cloths being solely used for royalty and nobles. A further look into present day Africa and we see a society where the textile industry has blossomed, and specific designs and techniques of textile making have become unique to particular regions and tribes. For instance, the Kente is distinct to the Ewe and Ashanti peoples of Ghana, the Yoruba of Nigeria are known for their ornate designs, and the mud cloth is exclusive to Mali. The continent of Africa boasts an array of flamboyant as well as simple designs that are either hand woven, or machine spun. African textiles are highly differentiated, and the weavers are skilled intellects with great mathematical and creative skill despite the, “Eurocentric conception of Africa as a dark continent and its people as uncivilized.” (Africa, 7) In the African culture today, clothing is not simply used as protection, or to showcase individual style; instead, clothing serves as a communicative mechanism, telling stories of wealth and social class, stories of belonging to a particular tribe, religion, or region, tales of ancestral ties, and even vital past events.