R&P Entries
Conferences/Workshop/Symposia/Seminar with Presentations
Kofi Adu – Boahen, Dei, L. A, Atampugre, G and Antwi K. B
Ghana Geographical Association (GGA) & Ghana Geographical Techers’ Association (GGTA). Notre Dame, Sunyani, Ghana 26th -30th August, 2014
Paper presented:
Are they under any management options? An evaluation of coastal lagoon management plans in Ghana
Abstract
Management of coastal lagoons has become a crucial issue for environmental and sustainable development in the international discourse as they are now major sites for diverse economic activities. The study sought to evaluate the existing coastal lagoon management plans in the global perspective and situate it in the case of Ghana. The review shows that Ghana have ratified a number of international management conventions and the traditional management approaches to coastal lagoon seems to accentuate the fulcrum of lagoon management. Among the traditional management plans include taboos and outright bans which has been sufficiently used to maintain the ecological integrity of the lagoon environment. Again as a result of education, religion and modernisation many of the areas which operated under common property’ laws and with rising economic pressures, these areas are being exploited unsustainably with local fines and punishments being ignored or disregarded. It is therefore recommended that the scheme of integrated coastal zone management is absorbed to embrace the other management options in order to achieve sustainable coastal resource management.
Management of coastal lagoons has become a crucial issue for environmental and sustainable development in the international discourse as they are now major sites for diverse economic activities. The study sought to evaluate the existing coastal lagoon management plans in the global perspective and situate it in the case of Ghana. The review shows that Ghana have ratified a number of international management conventions and the traditional management approaches to coastal lagoon seems to accentuate the fulcrum of lagoon management. Among the traditional management plans include taboos and outright bans which has been sufficiently used to maintain the ecological integrity of the lagoon environment. Again as a result of education, religion and modernisation many of the areas which operated under common property’ laws and with rising economic pressures, these areas are being exploited unsustainably with local fines and punishments being ignored or disregarded. It is therefore recommended that the scheme of integrated coastal zone management is absorbed to embrace the other management options in order to achieve sustainable coastal resource management.
Faculty of Social Sciences EducationJul 14, 2015
KYIILEYANG, M.
FACULTY OF ARTS POST GRADUATE SEMINARS, UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST. FACULTY OF ARTS CONFERENCE ROOM,UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST 13TH NOVEMBER 2013
Paper presented:
EXPOSITION OF POETIC ELEMENTS IN ‘LOGYIL’ PERFORMANCE BY ANSELM NIYAGAKUU KYↃH OF NANDOM-KUSELLE
Abstract
Dagara oral poetry also forms another significant part of African oral literature. Dagara oral tradition is quite broad in nature and is interesting as well. Dagara music in particular can be categorized in various ways. Dirges, xylophone music, drum music, satirical songs for entertainment and songs for religious rites such as the Bagre Festival among others form the extensive aspects of Dagara music. In this paper, an examination is made on logyil texts to expose the nature of this kind of music and the various poetic elements and images that emanate from it. Niyagakuu’s performance reveals images of metaphor, simile, hyperbole, euphemistic representation of Dagara traditional values in various ways. The texts chosen for the study were taken from a funeral performance done by Niyagakuu one of the renowned Dagara xylophonists from Nandom-Kuselle. The performance was made in May 2005 at Nandom-Segru during the funeral of an elderly woman of Segge’s Househlod. The exposition of various logyil texts reveals the significance of metaphor, simile, repetition, parallelism, ellipsis, assonance and other forms of symbolic representation in Dagara oral poetry. Keywords: Dagara, Oral Poetry, Xylophone, Logyil and Poetic Elements
Dagara oral poetry also forms another significant part of African oral literature. Dagara oral tradition is quite broad in nature and is interesting as well. Dagara music in particular can be categorized in various ways. Dirges, xylophone music, drum music, satirical songs for entertainment and songs for religious rites such as the Bagre Festival among others form the extensive aspects of Dagara music. In this paper, an examination is made on logyil texts to expose the nature of this kind of music and the various poetic elements and images that emanate from it. Niyagakuu’s performance reveals images of metaphor, simile, hyperbole, euphemistic representation of Dagara traditional values in various ways. The texts chosen for the study were taken from a funeral performance done by Niyagakuu one of the renowned Dagara xylophonists from Nandom-Kuselle. The performance was made in May 2005 at Nandom-Segru during the funeral of an elderly woman of Segge’s Househlod. The exposition of various logyil texts reveals the significance of metaphor, simile, repetition, parallelism, ellipsis, assonance and other forms of symbolic representation in Dagara oral poetry. Keywords: Dagara, Oral Poetry, Xylophone, Logyil and Poetic Elements
Faculty of Ghanaian Languages EducationJul 13, 2015
KYIILEYANG, M.
8th Linguistics Association of Ghana Annual Conference, LAG 2015 Conference. KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (KNUST), KUMASI, GHANA 27TH JULY, 2015-29TH JULY, 2015
Paper presented:
DEPICTION OF MYSTERIOUS AND MYSTICAL CHARACTERS IN THE NARRATION OF DAGARA FOLKTALES
Abstract
African folktales do not only entertain people but also teach moral lessons. One of the peculiar characteristics of Dagara folktales is figurative representation through skillful character portrayal. Some of the characters are ordinary whilst others are weird in nature. Many African and Ghanaian folktales portray various mysterious and mystical characters. There is no gainsaying that many Dagara folktales abound in mysterious and mystical characters and they play very significant roles in folktales. This paper examines the way mysterious and mystical characters are portrayed in Dagara folktales and it reiterates the roles such characters play in embellishing these tales and the narrative skills of performers. The methodology is based on the researcher’s fieldwork conducted in January 2015 and February 2015 in Nandom of northwestern Ghana. Performance theory is the most relevant basis for this paper as this theory is indispensable for contemporary folklorists, especially those working with field-collected narratives. Some Dagara folktales which feature mysterious and mystical characters were selected for analysis. The study emphasised the roles such characters play in enhancing the interpretation of Dagara folktales. The study reveals that Dagara folktales with mysterious or mystical characters do not only entertain people but also captivate the attention of the audience and equally expose various skills performers employ in the narration of Dagara folktales. Thus, the beauty of Dagara folktales lies in the structure and the kind of language performance use in the narration of their tales. KEYWORDS: Folktale, Narration, Mysterious/Mystical, Character, Performance
African folktales do not only entertain people but also teach moral lessons. One of the peculiar characteristics of Dagara folktales is figurative representation through skillful character portrayal. Some of the characters are ordinary whilst others are weird in nature. Many African and Ghanaian folktales portray various mysterious and mystical characters. There is no gainsaying that many Dagara folktales abound in mysterious and mystical characters and they play very significant roles in folktales. This paper examines the way mysterious and mystical characters are portrayed in Dagara folktales and it reiterates the roles such characters play in embellishing these tales and the narrative skills of performers. The methodology is based on the researcher’s fieldwork conducted in January 2015 and February 2015 in Nandom of northwestern Ghana. Performance theory is the most relevant basis for this paper as this theory is indispensable for contemporary folklorists, especially those working with field-collected narratives. Some Dagara folktales which feature mysterious and mystical characters were selected for analysis. The study emphasised the roles such characters play in enhancing the interpretation of Dagara folktales. The study reveals that Dagara folktales with mysterious or mystical characters do not only entertain people but also captivate the attention of the audience and equally expose various skills performers employ in the narration of Dagara folktales. Thus, the beauty of Dagara folktales lies in the structure and the kind of language performance use in the narration of their tales. KEYWORDS: Folktale, Narration, Mysterious/Mystical, Character, Performance
Faculty of Ghanaian Languages EducationJul 13, 2015
KYIILEYANG, M. & DEBRAH, M.
FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LANGUAGE LITERATURE AND COMMUNICATION IN UEW. Aryeetey Auditorium and Media and Communication’s Conference Room, UEW, Winneba, Ghana. 3rd -5th FEB. 2015
Paper presented:
LITERARY AESTHETICS IN THE NARRATION OF DAGARA FOLKTALES
Abstract
Dagara folktales, like other African folktales, are embedded with various literary aesthetic features related to structure, language and performance. This paper examines major literary aesthetics found in Dagara folktales. The methodology used is based on the collection, analysis and interpretation of selected Dagara folktales. The focus of the paper is on the structure and the language of Dagara folktales. The argument of this paper is grounded on the Structuralist Theory as seen in Gerard Genette’s Narrative Discourse which offers the basic constituents and techniques of narrative. Genette proposes various categories of narrative which cover Time, Mood and Voice. Genette’s narrative structure suggests that the various categories and subcategories emphasise that the narrative is a complex structure in which the narratee is largely present in the various strata of the structure. Genette is concerned with the macro-text of the recit, that is, the ordering of events in the narrative. The study revealed that there are similarities and differences in the structure and the language of Dagara folktales in relation to other African folktales.
Dagara folktales, like other African folktales, are embedded with various literary aesthetic features related to structure, language and performance. This paper examines major literary aesthetics found in Dagara folktales. The methodology used is based on the collection, analysis and interpretation of selected Dagara folktales. The focus of the paper is on the structure and the language of Dagara folktales. The argument of this paper is grounded on the Structuralist Theory as seen in Gerard Genette’s Narrative Discourse which offers the basic constituents and techniques of narrative. Genette proposes various categories of narrative which cover Time, Mood and Voice. Genette’s narrative structure suggests that the various categories and subcategories emphasise that the narrative is a complex structure in which the narratee is largely present in the various strata of the structure. Genette is concerned with the macro-text of the recit, that is, the ordering of events in the narrative. The study revealed that there are similarities and differences in the structure and the language of Dagara folktales in relation to other African folktales.
Faculty of Ghanaian Languages EducationJul 12, 2015
Ofosu-Kusi, Y.
Nordic Seminar on African Childhoods. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway 8-9 June 2015
Paper presented:
Informality as Space: Children’s Visualizations and Experiences of an Informal Settlement in Accra, Ghana.
Abstract
Evidently, streets, markets and urban spaces of Accra represent more than territories defined by boundaries. Many social, economic and cultural activities emanate from the way that environment is (dis)organized and culminate in an informality that shapes the behaviour of people inhabiting that space. With thousands of children and young people adopting streets and markets as a permanent or transient space for their alternative lives, a legitimate question to contemplate is what that space, its embedded opportunities and challenges, mean to their lives. This is a significant question to raise because children’s involvement in the urban economy has become an important narrative in the discourse on Africa’s rapid urbanization. With this in mind, this paper discusses children’s visualization and utilization of space within the context of rampant structural and socio-economic informality. Basing the discussion on narratives from a series of research with street children in 2012 at Old Fadama, a quintessential informal settlement, the article shows that children contemplate, visualise and utilize space in both its structural and constitutive sense. But in doing so, they reinterpret normative obligations to suit their aspirations.
Evidently, streets, markets and urban spaces of Accra represent more than territories defined by boundaries. Many social, economic and cultural activities emanate from the way that environment is (dis)organized and culminate in an informality that shapes the behaviour of people inhabiting that space. With thousands of children and young people adopting streets and markets as a permanent or transient space for their alternative lives, a legitimate question to contemplate is what that space, its embedded opportunities and challenges, mean to their lives. This is a significant question to raise because children’s involvement in the urban economy has become an important narrative in the discourse on Africa’s rapid urbanization. With this in mind, this paper discusses children’s visualization and utilization of space within the context of rampant structural and socio-economic informality. Basing the discussion on narratives from a series of research with street children in 2012 at Old Fadama, a quintessential informal settlement, the article shows that children contemplate, visualise and utilize space in both its structural and constitutive sense. But in doing so, they reinterpret normative obligations to suit their aspirations.
Faculty of Social Sciences EducationJul 09, 2015
Sam. E. F; Adu-Boahen, K & Kissah-Korsah, K
3rd Social Science Conference: Bringing the Gown to Town. UEW, South Campus, Winneba, Ghana 12-14 March, 2014
Paper presented:
Assessing the factors that influence public transport mode preference and patronage: Perspectives of students of University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana
Abstract
Several factors influence the preference and patronage of one public transport mode as against the others. The study set out to assess the factors that influence students of the University of Cape Coast in their choice of public transport service operators. Using questionnaires and interview guides, the study was conducted at five main intercity bus terminals in Cape Coast involving 100 student commuters who happened to be available at the various terminals during the survey (Easter break). The study found that the students gave massive consideration to fare, safety, comfort and reliability before deciding on which transport operator to choose. The study also revealed that the government-owned fleet were the most preferred by the students surveyed compared to the other privately-owned modals. It was thus concluded that service operator preference and patronage was a function of how affordable, comfortable, safe and reliable their fleet and services are and also that the students preferred the services of both the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Ltd and Intercity STC Coaches Ltd compared to the other operators because they have relatively cheaper fares and are perceived to be safe as well as are comfortable and reliable respectively
Several factors influence the preference and patronage of one public transport mode as against the others. The study set out to assess the factors that influence students of the University of Cape Coast in their choice of public transport service operators. Using questionnaires and interview guides, the study was conducted at five main intercity bus terminals in Cape Coast involving 100 student commuters who happened to be available at the various terminals during the survey (Easter break). The study found that the students gave massive consideration to fare, safety, comfort and reliability before deciding on which transport operator to choose. The study also revealed that the government-owned fleet were the most preferred by the students surveyed compared to the other privately-owned modals. It was thus concluded that service operator preference and patronage was a function of how affordable, comfortable, safe and reliable their fleet and services are and also that the students preferred the services of both the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Ltd and Intercity STC Coaches Ltd compared to the other operators because they have relatively cheaper fares and are perceived to be safe as well as are comfortable and reliable respectively
Faculty of Social Sciences EducationJul 07, 2015
Sam, E. F.
3rd Social Science Conference: Bringing the Gown to Town. UEW, South Campus, Winneba, Ghana 12-14 March, 2014
Paper presented:
Don’t learn safety by accident: A survey of child safety restraint usage among drivers in Dansoman, Accra
Abstract
The study surveyed child safety restraints use among drivers transporting children to school in Dansoman, Accra. Employing a naturalistic observational method, the following were observed: sex of the driver, vehicle model, child characteristics, child location in the vehicle, whether child was restrained and how they were restrained, whether the driver was belted and the presence of other vehicle occupants. In total 126 vehicles were observed. The study revealed low child restraints use among the observed drivers; children in new vehicles were more likely to be restrained; children seated in the back seat were more likely to be unrestrained; and child occupants were more likely to be unrestrained where there were other vehicle occupants. The study maintained that a collaborated effort by road safety stakeholders in terms of education/awareness creation and subsequent strict enforcement of child restraints use laws were required.
The study surveyed child safety restraints use among drivers transporting children to school in Dansoman, Accra. Employing a naturalistic observational method, the following were observed: sex of the driver, vehicle model, child characteristics, child location in the vehicle, whether child was restrained and how they were restrained, whether the driver was belted and the presence of other vehicle occupants. In total 126 vehicles were observed. The study revealed low child restraints use among the observed drivers; children in new vehicles were more likely to be restrained; children seated in the back seat were more likely to be unrestrained; and child occupants were more likely to be unrestrained where there were other vehicle occupants. The study maintained that a collaborated effort by road safety stakeholders in terms of education/awareness creation and subsequent strict enforcement of child restraints use laws were required.
Faculty of Social Sciences EducationJul 07, 2015
Sam, E. F. & Abane, A. M
7th African Transportation Technology Transfer Conference. Bulawayo, Zimbabwe 11-14 May, 2015
Paper presented:
Enhancing public transport safety and security in Ghana: Role of operators
Abstract
Public transportation poses a higher safety and security risk as it involves a larger number of commuters at a time. Ensuring the security of public transport patrons as well as maintaining the perception that riding on public transport is safe ought to be the first responsibility of any transport operator. This paper examines the various interventions employed by public transport operators in Ghana to address the transport safety and security needs of their patrons. Specifically, the study sought to examine the impact of these interventions on the operators' safety and security records in particular and the public transport safety and security situation in Ghana as a whole. Five Transport/ Traffic Operations Managers from five public transport operators were purposively sampled for the study. Data collection was done by way of a structured interview guide. Data was presented and analysed qualitatively. The study observed and concluded that the operators’ safety and security interventions have yielded some desired outcomes in the form of reduced incidence of road crashes and highway robbery attacks and consequently impacted positively on the public transport safety and security situation in the country. The study called for strict enforcement of public transport safety and security standards as well as effective collaboration and coordination of efforts and activities on the part of both public transport operators and the relevant road safety stakeholders in the country to sustain the improved public transport safety and security in the country. The study emphasised the need for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to periodically review the regulatory framework establishing public transport undertaking to reflect current safety and security circumstances.
Public transportation poses a higher safety and security risk as it involves a larger number of commuters at a time. Ensuring the security of public transport patrons as well as maintaining the perception that riding on public transport is safe ought to be the first responsibility of any transport operator. This paper examines the various interventions employed by public transport operators in Ghana to address the transport safety and security needs of their patrons. Specifically, the study sought to examine the impact of these interventions on the operators' safety and security records in particular and the public transport safety and security situation in Ghana as a whole. Five Transport/ Traffic Operations Managers from five public transport operators were purposively sampled for the study. Data collection was done by way of a structured interview guide. Data was presented and analysed qualitatively. The study observed and concluded that the operators’ safety and security interventions have yielded some desired outcomes in the form of reduced incidence of road crashes and highway robbery attacks and consequently impacted positively on the public transport safety and security situation in the country. The study called for strict enforcement of public transport safety and security standards as well as effective collaboration and coordination of efforts and activities on the part of both public transport operators and the relevant road safety stakeholders in the country to sustain the improved public transport safety and security in the country. The study emphasised the need for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to periodically review the regulatory framework establishing public transport undertaking to reflect current safety and security circumstances.
Faculty of Social Sciences EducationJul 07, 2015
Nukpezah, P.
AfTA Annual International Conference. Accra, Ghana July 2014
Paper presented:
Tertiary Theatre and Performance Education in Ghana: The Winneba Experience.
Abstract
This presentation explores the current history of tertiary theatre education in Ghana. It considers how it has evolved within the university educational system over the years. The study reflects on how theatre and performance have been challenged within the university community and asks the question that how can a critical discourse about theatre be achieved if the current trend is still a struggle for identity within academia? It further discusses a survey on the perception of students pursuing Theatre in the University of Education, some parents and university staff all in Winneba. The Winneba experience is analyzed led by the conviction that theatre still holds a place in the transformation of lives for a greater sense of purpose in life and nation building. This awareness, it is believed would alert curriculum developers to the possibility for reshaping theatre in the present and future.
This presentation explores the current history of tertiary theatre education in Ghana. It considers how it has evolved within the university educational system over the years. The study reflects on how theatre and performance have been challenged within the university community and asks the question that how can a critical discourse about theatre be achieved if the current trend is still a struggle for identity within academia? It further discusses a survey on the perception of students pursuing Theatre in the University of Education, some parents and university staff all in Winneba. The Winneba experience is analyzed led by the conviction that theatre still holds a place in the transformation of lives for a greater sense of purpose in life and nation building. This awareness, it is believed would alert curriculum developers to the possibility for reshaping theatre in the present and future.
School of Creative ArtsJul 02, 2015
Nukpezah, P.
WASRC-PASMAE CONFERENCE & SPECIAL ANNUAL PATAG INSET & WORKSHOP. Accra, Ghana June 2014
Paper presented:
The Place of Theatre Arts Education in Ghana's Future
Abstract
Theatre as has been observed by many provides an arena for the rehearsal of life experiences. Through these rehearsals, it is believed people adopt new ways of life. Much of Ghana’s developmental challenges is said to be the result of the attitudes or behaviour of its people. It is also observed that attitudes/behaviour whether desirable or undesirable are learned, and could be changed through appropriate conditioning. Though a lot of progress has been made in understanding the causes of these attitudes /behaviour of the Ghanaian and the need to prevent them, various reports still show a number of challenges. The distinct effects of the numerous intervention strategies adopted to address these challenges of the Ghanaian have not yet been realized. This article recounts a participant’s observation of the use of theatre as an educational tool in understanding the underlying causes behind these challenges in four Winneba communities; namely Gomoa Kweikrom, Gomoa Pomadze, Essuekyire and Winneba prisons. The observations made show how Freire’s concept of education, which advocates for cooperation, unity, and cultural synthesis were employed in the theatrical activities, all in the hope of enhancing attitudinal/behavioural change of Ghana’s future. This paper however admits that although there are not many visible features to show, the processes have contributed to some notable achievements to the host communities in the Winneba Municipality and on the lives of the project facilitators.
Theatre as has been observed by many provides an arena for the rehearsal of life experiences. Through these rehearsals, it is believed people adopt new ways of life. Much of Ghana’s developmental challenges is said to be the result of the attitudes or behaviour of its people. It is also observed that attitudes/behaviour whether desirable or undesirable are learned, and could be changed through appropriate conditioning. Though a lot of progress has been made in understanding the causes of these attitudes /behaviour of the Ghanaian and the need to prevent them, various reports still show a number of challenges. The distinct effects of the numerous intervention strategies adopted to address these challenges of the Ghanaian have not yet been realized. This article recounts a participant’s observation of the use of theatre as an educational tool in understanding the underlying causes behind these challenges in four Winneba communities; namely Gomoa Kweikrom, Gomoa Pomadze, Essuekyire and Winneba prisons. The observations made show how Freire’s concept of education, which advocates for cooperation, unity, and cultural synthesis were employed in the theatrical activities, all in the hope of enhancing attitudinal/behavioural change of Ghana’s future. This paper however admits that although there are not many visible features to show, the processes have contributed to some notable achievements to the host communities in the Winneba Municipality and on the lives of the project facilitators.
School of Creative ArtsJul 02, 2015
