Ghana, Our Culture Then & Now

In the past, younger people/ Children quit their seats for older persons when there are limited chairs in public places. (NOW CHILDREN WILL BE GLUED TO THEIR SEATS ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT IS THEIR ENTITLEMENT)

AN AFRICAN FAMILY

At Xmas, children grouped themselves to visit households and they were readily feted. (GROUP VISITATIONS BY CHILDREN ARE NO MORE IN THE SYSTEM. OUT OF PRIDE OR SUSPICION, SOME PARENTS ASSUME THEIR CHILDREN MAY BE HARMED OR TAKEN FOR BEGGARS, THUS IMPUTING A SENSE OF IRRESPONSIBILITY ON PARENTS AS UNABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN’S NEEDS)

Women wore Kaba and slit sewn with textile cloths, and covered their hair with head scarfs. ( THE ORIGINAL & INDIGENOUS APPEARANCE OF WOMEN IS SUBSTANTIALLY REPLACED WITH WESTERN APPAREL AND ARTIFICIAL HAIR)

Life was simple, cars were not status symbols and people boarded the popular Bedford commercial buses built of wood. In Accra, it was called ”Choloorle.” ( NOW IT IS ALL ABOUT CLASS. YOUR VEHICLE AND YEAR OF REGISTRATION CONSTITUTE THE BASIS FOR YOUR RESPECT. PEOPLE WHO BUY NEW CARS WAIT TO REGISTER THEM IN THE SUCCEEDING YEARS FOR THE LATEST NUMBER PLATES.)  

THE WOODEN BEDFORD IN THE 1970s  & A POSH CAR.

Explicit sex photos and videos were not in the system. It was taboo to be seen watching or in possession of such items. (APART FROM CASSETTES AND CDS ON SALE, THESE ARE AVAILABLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND THEY POP UP ON YOUR PHONE OR COMPUTER)

Children quit sitting rooms when their parents received visitors. (THIS COURTESY IS ABSENT NOWADAYS. CHILDREN ARE STUCK IN THERE WITH ADULTS EVEN WHEN THERE ARE VISITORS) 

Hardly would one see sensitive body parts of women when they dressed for public places in the period up to the 1980s. (IN THE NAME OF FASHION WOMEN WEAR SKIMPY DRESSES THAT REVEAL SOME DEEP BODY PARTS)

 

Crimes were few and far between. ( JUST READ THE NEWSPAPERS, THEY ARE FILLED WITH ALL SORTS OF CRIME. THE TREND CAN NOT BE DELINKED FROM POPULATION INCREASE)  

Death was considered a major occurrence which was accompanied by tearful mourning. ( PEOPLE NO LONGER WEEP AT FUNERALS. IT IS NOW A SOCIAL GATHERING WHERE PEOPLE MAKE MERRY IN WHAT HAS NOW BECOME KNOWN AS A CELEBRATION OF LIFE. AT TIMES IT TAKES THE HIRING OF PROFESSIONAL MOURNERS BEFORE ONE CAN SEE TEARFUL SCENES AT FUNERALS) 

Marriage was consummated by two families who ensured that couples toed the transparent line such as background checks. (THESE DAYS THE OPPOSITE SEX MEETS IN THE STREETS AND STARTS AN EASY AFFAIR. SOON THE MAN DEMANDS SEX AND THE WOMAN DEMANDS MONEY)

Corporal punishment ensured that children could be thrashed within the ambit of discipline. ( CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IS BANNED IN SCHOOLS UNDER THE LAW AND PARENTS COULD BE LEGALLY LIABLE FOR ASSAULT ON THEIR CHILDREN) 

Meritocracy was the order of the day. One had to meet this criterion before earning the plaudits. (HAZE ACCOMPANIES PROCESSES OF MAKING CHOICES IN RECENT HISTORY)

Murder was uncommon. (WE HAVE MOVED FROM THE REALM OF NATURAL CAUSES TO INSTIGATED DEATHS. INCREASINGLY, SOCIETY IS HEARTLESS AND MURDER IS COMMITTED FOR ALL MANNER OF REASONS) 

 

Media content which was a source of education met ethical obligations. (THE PRACTICE OF THE PAST CHAMPIONED BY THE TRADITIONAL STATE MEDIA STANDS AN OPPOSITE DISTANCE FROM RECENT MEDIA CONTENT WHERE PEOPLE INSULT AND DENIGRADE OTHERS. IN THE RUSH TO BREAK THE NEWS FIRST, CHECKS ARE NOT DONE TO ASCERTAIN THE VERACITY OF STORIES BEFORE BEING RELEASED. GRAMMATICAL MISTAKES ARE COMMON IN THE MEDIA)   

There was communal labor in the self-help spirit. ( PEOPLE DO NOT CARE ABOUT VOLUNTARY COMMUNITY SERVICE ANYMORE. THEY LOOK TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR ALMOST EVERYTHING)

 

Lyrics in local music, particularly highlife music, were proverbial and had clarity. ( NOW MOST LOCAL MUSIC IS FULL OF NOISE, WITH INSTRUMENTALS OVERSHADOWING THE LYRICS. THEIR CONTENTS ARE FULL OF INDISCRETIONS INCLUDING LEWD VIDEO CLIPS. THE EDUCATIONAL TIPS FROM INDIGENOUS CULTURE AND PROVERBS ARE MISSING.)

Sports and many other national endeavors were minded by patriotism. In other words, patriotism was the motivation for national duties. ( GOADED BY PATRIOTIC SPIRIT, GHANA RACED INTO THE LEAD AND BECAME THE UNPRECEDENTED FOUR-TIME AFRICAN CHAMPIONS IN THE AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS FOOTBALL AMONG OTHERS. WHEN MONEY BECAME THE BIG DEAL IN SPORTS, PARTICULARLY FOOTBALL, GHANA HAD FAILED TO WIN THE AFRICAN TROPHY SINCE 1982).

Truth and honesty were functional, and most cherished values by individuals, homes, and society in general. ( TODAY, THOSE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE APOSTLES OF ACCEPTABLE VALUES ARE FAILING TO UPHOLD THEM. MONEY COULD BE SUBSTITUTING NOBLE VALUES AS THOSE WITH MUCH OF IT ARE RESPECTED MOST WHILST HONESTY GOES UNRECOGNIZED.)

Political divisions existed but Ghanaians considered themselves one people, by and large. ( DUE TO DIAMMETRICALLY OPPOSED POLITICS, PEOPLE CONCOCT AND FOIST CASES ON FELLOW CITIZENS WHO BELONG TO THE POLITICALLY OPPOSITE NUMBER. POLITICS ARE VEHICLES FOR CRIPPLING OR FRUSTRATING OTHERS, IF NOT DESTROYING THEM COMPLETELY. PARTY POLITICS HAVE DIVIDED THE COUNTRY INTO ENCLAVES.)

ART & CRAFTS BY CHILDREN

Productive entertainment such as art and craft were in vogue and children were occupied with these as part of academic assignments. (TODAY’S CHILDREN ARE ONLY ABSORBED BY THE OBSESSION WITH MOBILE PHONES. ART AND CRAFTS ARE YANKED FROM EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES)

An older person who has no blood relations could discipline misbehaving children he or she encounters anywhere. ( TODAY, SOCIETY FROWNS ON THIS WITH THE ONE INTERESTED IN SUCH VOLUNTARY ASSISTANCE, FACING ALL THE LEGAL RISKS  AND REPRISALS)

Social life was regulated by taboos. ( THE TABOO OF NOT SINGING WHILST TAKING YOUR BATH WAS TO CHECK SOAPY WATER ENTERING THE MOUTH AND FOR THE ONE TAKING THE BATH TO CONCENTRATE AND FINISH THE EXERCISE QUICKLY SINCE BATHROOMS WERE SHARED WITH OTHERS WHO MIGHT BE WAITING FOR THEIR TURNS. THE SANCTION ON THE TABOO BEING THE DEATH OF THE OFFENDER’S MOTHER, WAS A DETERRENT. TODAY, PEOPLE ARE AT THEIR WHIMS AND CAPRICES.)

A CHILD ON A PARENT FARM

Children helped parents on their farms. ( TODAY EVEN WHEN YOUR OWN CHILDREN ASSIST YOU ON THE FARM, YOU RISK LEGAL ACTION FOR HAVING SUBJECTED THEM TO CHILD LABOUR. IN THE OLDEN SYSTEM, THIS WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TRAINING GROUNDS FOR INSTILLING THE SPIRIT OF HARDWORK IN CHILDREN DURING THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS.)

Letters to institutions for employment were replied to, and in most cases fetched applicants the jobs. (CURRENTLY, MAIL LETTER APPLICATIONS FOR JOBS LOOK TANTAMOUNT TO SHOOTING IN THE DARKNESS. YOU AIM AT NOTHING.  MOST INSTITUTIONS PREFER ONLINE APPLICATIONS WHICH IS THE FIRST LITMUS TEST FOR THE APPLICANT’S LITERACY IN ICT.

Crave for money by the youth was non-existent. ( THESE DAYS YOUNG PEOPLE IN THEIR QUEST TO LIVE LIKE ADULTS WHOSE PERKS IN LIFE ARE THE CUMULATIVE PHASES OF EXTENSIVE PERIODS, SWIM IN THE GET-RICH-SYNDROME BY THE SHORTCUT ROUTE.  THEY KILL, MAIM, STEAL, AND CORRUPT  TO MAKE MONEY BY HOOK OR CROOK. THE NEWS OUTLETS ARE REPLETE WITH UGLY FACES OF THE NEW GENERATION.) 

Fellow feelings and selflessness were active in lives, as opposed to individualism and mind-your-own-business lifestyle. ( IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD, PEOPLE ONLY CARE ABOUT THEMSELVES. IF THEY DO NOT SEE A NEIGHBOUR OFTEN, THEY DO NOT ENQUIRE ABOUT THEIR WHEREABOUTS. WHAT IF THE LONE OCCUPANT OF THE NEXT APARTMENT HAD DIED OR WAS INVOLVED IN SOME DOMESTIC ACCIDENT? CORRUPTION AND PROFLIGACY IN HIGH PLACES REPRESENT A GIVEN INSENSITIVITY TO THE PLIGHT OF WIDE SECTIONS OF THE POPULACE WHO EKE A LIVING. THE LIST IS ENDLESS.

A SCENE FROM A TELENOVELA

Sex was a taboo subject, not publicly discussed.  ( NOW SEX IS COMMONPLACE, IT IS THE FIREBALL HOVERING ON OUR HEADS. THE MEDIA WOULD SAY SEX SELLS SO MATTERS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT ARE PUBLISHED OR AIRED WITH LIGHTNING SPEED. LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOWS PRETEND CHILDREN MAY BE SLEEPING AT THAT TIME, BUT FORGET IT. THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY ALSO BREAKS THIS TABOO IN THE NAME OF SEX EDUCATION IN THE NEW MOVEMENT IN WHICH ADVERTISERS COULD BE THE WORSE CULPRITS, ESPECIALLY ADVERTS ON HERBAL DRUGS AND SEXUAL VIRILITY. EVEN THE FIGHT AGAINST SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SALE OF CONDOMS WHILST TELEVISION SOAP OPERAS HAVE BROKEN BOUNDS WHEN IT COMES TO LICENTIOUS BEHAVIOUR.