Cultural Expectations

We now have two days to go until our flight to Ghana! As we mentioned in our last post, we have spent the last six weeks preparing for our trip by learning a bit of the different aspects of Ghanaian culture. Previous Pavlis groups, as well as our TA Emmanuel spent a lot of time telling us about their own experiences. Here's a snippet of what we've learned!

Family

Relationships between family members are a lot closer than in the U.S., typically. One way this can be seen is in how relatives in Ghana are named; your father's brother, for instance, would not be referred to as your uncle, but as another father- and to suggest otherwise would be very disrespectful. The same idea would apply to your mother's sisters - they would also be called your mother. Likewise, all of your cousins would be considered your brothers and sisters. This is one reason why homelessness in Ghana was relatively rare until recently (that is, until greater urbanization and modernization began to set in), because extended families always provided support.

Our TA Emmanuel with his wife Ester and son Adom

Time

Ghanaians often jokingly refer to "Ghana Time"; not as a time zone, but as a way of life! They are typically much more relaxed in regards to punctuality, and it is not at all uncommon to show up two or three hours late to an appointment. So when a friend shows up late to lunch, there's no reason to be angry- just smile and laugh, and everything will work out the way it should.

Food

Ghanaian food boasts many kinds of soups, meat, starchy types of dough, and dishes utilizing the many fruits and vegetables available in Ghana. Some typical meals include: 

Fufu- a dough made from pounding plantains and cassava, usually eaten with soup 

Redred- a dish of fried plantains and oil from the palm tree fruit 

Kelewele- ripe plantain, hot pepper, and ginger 

Grasscutter- a type of large rodent, a specialty of Ghana's!

Banku- made of maize and cassava

Groundnut Soup- a peanut soup, usually served with meat as well

Jollof Rice- rice cooked with tomatoes and red pepper, among other ingredients

An example of a typical meal in Ghana [1]

Sugar is very uncommon in Ghanaian dishes, as are the use of ovens, so there are not many sweet or baked goods. Most meals are prepared on stovetop, and eaten with the fingers- yes, even the soups! ;)

Life and Death

Being married and having children are two of the most important values in Ghanaian society- so much so that when a Ghanaian meets you for the first time, instead of being asked "Do you have children?" you may be asked, "How many children do you have?" Many foreigners in Ghana will also tire of the frequent marriage proposals from strangers - some serious, some not! ;)

Also dissimilar to Western culture is Ghanaians' attitude towards the death of a loved one. Whereas American funerals are typically a solemn affair, funerals in Ghana are extravagant celebrations of life, with much food, singing, and dancing.

A funeral celebration in the Upper Volta Region of Ghana [2]

Social Life

Ghana has often been described as one of the friendliest places in the world- and probably deserves the title! While we have been warned to watch out for "professional friends" who make a living of scamming tourists, the majority of Ghanaians are genuinely eager to help out and meet new people. Of course, this doesn't mean that the sellers in the local market won't raise their prices as soon as an obruni (a white person) walks by, so we're practicing our bargaining Twi! 

Because social life is such an integral part of Ghanaian culture, greetings are also very important - if you do not greet someone when you meet them, they may believe you are holding a grudge against them. Also, left-handers beware; use of the left hand for shaking hands or even waving is considered an offensive gesture.

If you would like to learn more, we highly recommend the following books, which we read and enjoyed in our exploration of Ghanaian culture:

Utley, Ian.  Culture Smart!  Ghana.  New York:  Kuperard, 2009.

Wyss, Susi.  The Civilized World:  A Novel in Stories.  New York:  Holt Paperbacks, 2011.

The last two pictures in this post can be found at 

[1] Erose Blog <http://emmarose91.blogspot.com/2011/04/fufu-originated-from-ghana-where-it-is.html>  

[2] Chip Williams Photography <http://www.chipwilliams.com/#/travels/Ghana_Funeral_Dance>