Too Much Too Young: An Ethnographic Exploration into Practice Parenting During Adolescence in Accra, Ghana

Smith, Laura (2014) Too Much Too Young: An Ethnographic Exploration into Practice Parenting During Adolescence in Accra, Ghana. Manchester Metropolitan University. (Unpublished)

Preview

Download (344kB) | Preview

Abstract

This research aims to understand the experiences of an adolescent in the unique position of practice parenthood. The study was carried out in an orphanage in Accra, Ghana, which is home to 53 children. The orphanage functions through communal child-rearing practices in that there is a shared responsibility among the adolescent members of the group. This was explored using a range of ethnographic methodologies, such as ethnographic interviews, participatory photo elicitation and object elicitation. The themes that emerged through the data concluded that the responsibility placed upon the participants is embedded within the cultural ideology and is therefore normalised. Furthermore, these responsibilities had a range of both positive and negative effects, such as the need for self-sacrifice while also functioning as good practice for future parenthood.