Ethnicity In Ghana

These essays address the neglected theme of ethnicity in Ghanaian history, society, and politics. The essays qualify the notion that ethnicity was purely a colonial "invention" by demonstrating the ways in which the boundaries of "we-groups" have mutated from pre-colonial times onwards. The collection also considers the particular manner in which the national question is posed today in terms of language policy and conflicts over land and chieftaincy.

Ten studies selected from a special workshop at a May 1995 conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, apply findings from the many studies of ethnicity in southern and central Africa to Ghana. Historians and social scientists contend that ethnicity was not purely a colonial invention, that the boundaries of We-groups have constantly mutated from pre-colonial times, while European categorization owned much to indigenous ways of seeing. They also examine national questions today over language policy and conflicts over land and chieftaincy. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Carola Lentz is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Frankfurt, Germany.

Paul Nugent is Senior Lecturer in African history at the University of Edinburgh.