The Intergenerational Model and Family Dynamics in Ghana

• In Event: 054 - Section on the Sociology of the Family Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 14. Multigenerational Family Living

Abstract

With the urban setting as the centre of intense social change, this paper examines the changing dynamics of the family structure in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. Urban middle class husbands of two generations were sampled to analyze their changing roles in the home. The study finds that with the exception of house chores, other roles had no relationship with age. A proportion of husbands in both generations allude to the fact that their roles today in the home are not like that of their fathers. The functional changes roles cannot be conclusively generalized because these changes are mutual and private and therefore left to the discretion of couples themselves. Hence, even though the roles marital relations are changing, the implications for the larger society have not been fully grasped. The need for a broader discussion is due to the fact that more women are occupying instrumental roles outside the home, and more men are able to schedule work and family life. Consequently, there is the need to expand the focus of the discussion on husband-wife relations.

Author

• Helen Nana Mensah, Old Dominion University