The sociology and culture of Africa: its nature and scope

Inaugural address delivered on his entrance into office as Professor of the Sociology and Culture of Africa for the Afrika-Studiecentrum at the University of Leiden on October 14, 1960.ASC – Publicaties niet-programma gebonde

Using political metaphors to understand educational policy in developing countries: the case of Ghana and informal communities

This article suggests that one needs to consider education as inherently political to better understand some of the problems in education policy in developing countries. It suggests that using political metaphors as a discursive framework can enhance the understanding of some of the limitations of formal schooling in developing countries. Political metaphors can be an alternative approach to the predominant market metaphors in educationpolicy and can provide valuable insights for future research and policy that go beyond current approaches. By using Ghana as an example, this article focuses on the implications that strong informal communities and markets can have for formal schooling in developing countries

Homelessness and mental health in Ghana: everyday experiences of Accra’s migrant squatters

This article discusses everyday experiences of transient homelessness in Ghana’s capital, Accra. Episodic interviews with individuals living in squatter settlements in the wealthy East Legon suburb explored: (1) roots of homelessness; (2) everyday experiences and coping strategies; (3) relationship between experiences and (mental) health; (4) needs and interventions. Three intersecting forms of insecurity framed participants’ everyday experience: financial, legal and psychosocial. Physical and psychological stresses were common; physical illnesses rare. Coping strategies facilitated adaptation but not transformation of everyday circumstances. We explore possibilities for intervention and discuss relevance of this study to the health psychology and African literatures on homelessness