Expressing Property Concepts in Leteh (Larteh)

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Action nominalization in lɛtɛ

The primary aim of this paper is to describe the process of action nominalization as it operates in L£`t£`. It will further explore morphosyntactic properties that the action noun shares with a prototypical L£`t£` noun phrase. ¡¥An action nominalization refers to an action, usually in the abstract, expressed by the verb root ¡¥ (Payne, 1997: 224). Generally, the phenomenon can be formulated as: VƒpNACTION designated by V (Payne 1997: 224). Languages of the world employ one or more mechanisms for deriving action nouns from action verbs ¡¥meaning the act of that verb¡¦ (Comrie and Thompson, 2007: 335). L£`t£` uses two strategies in deriving action nouns from action verbs. One mechanism involves a tonal change; usually underlying high tones become low, and underlying low tones become high. It has been established that the underlying tonal pattern of the verb root is that of the imperative form (Akrofi Ansah 2009). Secondly, an action noun may be formed from a verb phrase consisting of an action verb and its object by reversing the order of the verb and the object. Transitive and intransitive verbs may undergo action nominalization. The derived noun possesses some morphosyntactic properties of a prototypical noun phrase. For example, it can be focused and also function as object NP in a transitive clause. The paper makes a contribution to our knowledge of some nominalization strategies that related languages like Akan (Appah 2005) and L£`t£` share

Exploring Coloniality in Occupation-Based Education: Perspectives of Ghanaian Occupational Therapists

The history, scope, and practice of occupational therapy are taught in many parts of the world using western perspectives. Recently, occupational scientists have explored occupation-based education, including the extent to which occupation is central in occupational therapy programs and the mechanisms of teaching occupation. This study explores how western ideologies have influenced occupation-based education in Ghana by examining the teaching and practice of occupational therapy. We conducted a qualitative study using purposive sampling to recruit four participants from the first four cohorts of practitioners. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Our analysis yielded three main themes: Power, participants described power dynamics inside and outside the field of occupational therapy that influenced how occupational therapy was taught and practiced in Ghana; Knowledge, participants described the focus of the foundational knowledge they received as largely theoretical, with limited practical knowledge of the Ghanaian context; Being, participants described how their experiences shaped their occupational identities. Additional themes included: Globalization and Cultural Assimilation, and Occupational Consciousness. Occupational therapists in Ghana are directly affected by the systemic injustices that have plagued their communities since the colonial era. Their existence in a formerly colonized country affects how much they can pursue personal and professional interests. Practitioners and scholars from formerly colonized and marginalized groups need to be empowered to embrace their identities and practice meaningfully. The ‘burden’ of decolonizing occupation-based education should not be left to the ex-colonized because coloniality goes beyond the scope of occupational science and occupational therapy

The Negative Impacts of COVID-19 Containment Measures on South African Families - Overview and Recommendations

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported various pneumonia cases (‘Coronavirus Disease 2019’ [COVID-19]) on 31 December 2019 in Wuhan City, China, which has spread to many countries, including South Africa. In response to this, the President of South Africa declared a state of national disaster on 15th March 2020, followed by introducing various COVID-19 containment measures to minimize the spread of the virus. This paper examines the negative impacts that COVID-19 containment measures may have had on the family as a unit of society and furthermore provides recommendations to mitigate the impacts of these measures. It can be concluded that COVID-19 containment measures, specifically the lockdown restrictions, would yield both short-term and long-term impacts on proper family functioning. Several families in South Africa have been impacted financially due to the closure of business which led to the temporary/ permanent unemployment of some breadwinners in the families. This also has had a cascading impact on the food security of families and their ability to afford other basic necessities. Distress as a result of financial challenges or failure to provide for the family alongside spending much time locked down together as a family has also led to violence in the family. This was further exacerbated by the fact that the victims were stuck with the abusers and some could not report or find help due to the restricted movements. Furthermore, since most institutions predominantly moved learning online, results indicated that the lockdown restrictions affected the ability of some individuals especially those from poor families to access formal education during the period due to the lack of digital devices and internet facilities. In order to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 containment measures on the family, there is a need for collaborative efforts at intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community and policy levels using the ecological framework

Stakeholder collaboration in climate-smart agricultural production innovations: insights from the Cocoa industry in Ghana

Although collaboration is vital in addressing global environmental sustainability challenges, research understanding on stakeholder engagement in climate-smart production innovation adoption and implementation, remains limited. In this paper, we advance knowledge about stakeholder collaboration by examining the roles played by stakeholders in scaling up ecological sustainability innovations. Using the illustrative context and case of green cocoa industry in Ghana, the analysis identified three distinctive phases of stakeholder engagement in ecological sustainability innovations implemented from 1960-2017. We highlight defining periods of ecological challenges encompassing the production recovery sustainability initiative phase solely driven by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD)–a governmental body responsible for production, processing and marketing of cocoa, coffee and sheanut. During the period, major initiatives were driven by non-governmental organisations in collaboration with COCOBOD to implement the Climate-Smart agriculture scheme in the cocoa sector. The findings have implications for cocoa production research and stakeholder collaboration in environmental innovations adoption

Integrating solar energy considerations into urban planning for low carbon cities: A systematic review of the state-of-the-art

Early integration of solar energy considerations into urban planning/design is necessary to ensure that future cities do not only consume but also produce energy locally through solar. Yet, strategies for this integration remain a key challenge for urban planners and city administrators. Using a scientometric and systematic literature review approach, the objective of this review is to examine the state-of-the-art and current research gaps that constrain such integration. We find that while interests in the interrelationships between solar energy and urban planning have spanned several decades, the two remain largely unintegrated. Though a socio-technical process, the socio-political and socio-demographic aspects of solar urban planning have not received much scholarly attention. Consequently, whereas many software tools for analyzing solar insolation on existing surfaces have been developed, there is a lack of methods and decision support systems to integrate the results into urban planning practice. There is limited research on the subject in the global South despite significant opportunities for solar urban planning in this region. Also, a limited application of theoretical frameworks was found in existing studies. Future research exploring solar urban planning from the socio-technical transition theoretical perspective will significantly enhance the realization of this concept

Integrating sustainable energies into local government plans in Ghana

Despite significant efforts to mainstream sustainable energies into national policies, the extent to which such energies are integrated into local government plans in Ghana remains unclear. This study explored the status and factors affecting the integration of sustainable energies in local level planning using the Wa Municipality in the Upper West Region as a case study. Key informant interviews were held with four heads of departments alongside a content analysis of eight policy and planning documents using ATLAS.ti software. The scope of the study covered the 2010–2013 and 2014–2017 development plans prepared by the Municipality and was conducted between May and July 2019. We found that energy-related projects constituted only 1.4% and 1.1% of all the projects found in the 2010–2013 and 2014–2017 MTPs of the Municipality, respectively. The focus on energy in the plans was on increasing electricity access through grid extension, with little attention to off-grid applications and alternative energy sources. We conclude that low priority is given to sustainable energy issues in the local government plans, and this situation is partly attributed to the fact that planning guidelines and national policy frameworks did not explicitly outline strategies for integrating sustainable energies into local government plans. Hence, provisions in national policy frameworks and national guidelines for local development planning significantly affects the integration of sustainable energies at the local government level. We recommend that the National Development Planning Commission should incorporate explicit provisions for integrating sustainable energies into the district/local planning guidelines

Are households willing to adopt solar home systems also likely to use electricity more efficiently? Empirical insights from Accra, Ghana

The diffusion of renewable energy technology, such as solar home systems (SHS), has great potential to reduce GHG emissions. However, households’ energy efficiency (EE) and curtailment behavior (CB) play a crucial role in this process. This study examines the rooftop solar PV potential, households’ willingness to adopt SHS, and their EE/CB implications for mitigating CO2 emissions through SHS adoption. A survey of 216 households was carried out alongside rooftop solar PV potential analysis in a high-income gated estate and a middle-class neighborhood using secondary data. First, we find that rooftop solar PV has the potential to offset all grid electricity and its associated CO2 emissions for at least 63.5% of households. Secondly, the willingness to adopt SHS is lower in the high-income neighborhood than the middle-class ones. This dynamic is explained by the occupancy status, where most of those in the high-income neighborhood tend to be renters – a group known to have a low willingness to adopt SHS. Thirdly, our results affirm that energy-saving behavior is more common in a middle-class neighborhood where the propensity to adopt SHS is also high. Our results suggest that households willing to adopt SHS are more likely to engage in EE/CB. However, this tendency is common among middle-class households, who, in practice, may not be able to afford the SHS. Our findings underscore the need for more targeted policy interventions for SHS, and EE and CB among homeowners, high-income neighborhoods, and real estate developers

Students in Climate Action: A Study of Some Influential Factors and Implications of Knowledge Gaps in Africa

This study examined how the regional manifestations of climate change effects and students’ involvement in various climate-related clubs and activities influenced their knowledge and awareness of climate change. Key knowledge gaps and their implications for climate action were also examined. A cross-sectional survey was adopted for the study whilst a snowball sampling technique was used to select the respondents. A total of 300 students from 26 African countries participated in the survey. Descriptive statistics, relative importance index (RII) method and the chi-square test of independence were used to analyze the data. Results showed that regional manifestations of climate change effects and students’ involvement in climate change-related workshops and campaigns significantly influenced their knowledge levels whilst their membership of climate-related student clubs had no significant influence. Key knowledge gaps with regards to how factors such as meat consumption and waste generation could lead to climate change were also identified. Students were also less knowledgeable about how climate change affects key issues such as conflicts, gender inequalities and job insecurity. Intensification of climate change education beyond the most common causes and effects is highly recommended among the youth. Various environment-related student clubs are also encouraged to tailor their activities in this direction

Solar Urban Planning in African Cities: Challenges and Prospects

This chapter aims to identify and evaluate the opportunities and challenges of solar urban planning in Africa’s cities. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, 37 publications were selected and thematically analysed. It emerged that the vast solar energy potentials, formalised urban planning systems, declining costs, and rising acceptance of solar PVs are key opportunities for solar urban planning. Urban informality, inadequate technical expertise, regulatory bottlenecks, and noncompliance with building regulations are critical barriers to Africa’s solar urban planning. Research on the subject was found to be limited. Studies that explore decision support systems and strategies for integrating solar concerns into urban planning using multi-criteria assessments will be instrumental for realising this concept in Africa