Papers by Alice Korkor Ebeheakey
Journal of African History, Culture and Arts
This paper attempts to conceptualize the stylistic body movements in contemporary Ghanaian dances... more This paper attempts to conceptualize the stylistic body movements in contemporary Ghanaian dances through the aesthetic lenses of performance art. The expressiveness of performance art forms is frequently praised for the emotions we have toward them. These feelings are derived from the symbolic connotations and functionalities of the arts in life. Through an exploratory design of qualitative inquiry, the researchers focus on a contextual dialogue on the aesthetic visual presentations of selected contemporary Ghanaian dances as performance art forms. The critical content analysis of music videos was espoused to examine the stylistic body movements and gestures coded in some contemporary Ghanaian dances such as Azonto, Twerking, Kupe, Pilolo and Shoo as part of an empirical artistic study. Instruments for data collection were observation, document analysis and photography for the contextual visual content analyses grounded in semiotic and aesthetic theoretical discourse. This study ag...
African Journal of History and Culture, 2019
The Akan of Ghana are one of the "richest" ethnic groups in the country. They are known to be the... more The Akan of Ghana are one of the "richest" ethnic groups in the country. They are known to be the first ethnic group that settled in Ghana, hence the reason for the name "kan (e)" which means "the first". There are several subgroups that are classified under the eight main clans of the Akan and all of these subgroups are well known for their rich culture. Among the Akan culture the chief is seen as the custodian of the land. To convey the words of the chief to the people, the spokesperson (Ͻkyeame), being a repository of the Akan customs, values and language, quotes the words of the chief appropriately, for easy understanding. The spokespersons staffs (Ͻkyeame Poma), magnificent goldcovered staffs, are carried by these spokespersons who are high-ranking officials within the court of the Akan chiefs in Ghana, as symbols of authority. The spokespersons staffs are usually classified under Akan symbolism as they are said to serve as a medium of communication. The staff is meant to constitute a principal symbol that defines the spokesperson"s office and facilitate his functions in and out of the chief"s court. To gain the relevant information about the unwritten perspectives of the Akan spokespersons staffs from experts in the field of Akan history, interview was used as the main form of data collection. From the study, it was evident that all spokespersons staffs (Ͻkyeame Poma), carry the philosophy of the group of people it represents. The spokespersons staffs are also respected as an embodiment of the souls of the Akan people. On the unwritten perspectives of the Akan spokespersons staff, it was evident that the Ͻkyeame"s are not linguists (as they are popularly called) but rather spokespersons.
African Journal of History and Culture, 2019
The Akan of Ghana are one of the "richest" ethnic groups in the country. They are known to be the... more The Akan of Ghana are one of the "richest" ethnic groups in the country. They are known to be the first ethnic group that settled in Ghana, hence the reason for the name "kan (e)" which means "the first". There are several subgroups that are classified under the eight main clans of the Akan and all of these subgroups are well known for their rich culture. Among the Akan culture the chief is seen as the custodian of the land. To convey the words of the chief to the people, the spokesperson (Ͻkyeame), being a repository of the Akan customs, values and language, quotes the words of the chief appropriately, for easy understanding. The spokespersons staffs (Ͻkyeame Poma), magnificent goldcovered staffs, are carried by these spokespersons who are high-ranking officials within the court of the Akan chiefs in Ghana, as symbols of authority. The spokespersons staffs are usually classified under Akan symbolism as they are said to serve as a medium of communication. The staff is meant to constitute a principal symbol that defines the spokesperson"s office and facilitate his functions in and out of the chief"s court. To gain the relevant information about the unwritten perspectives of the Akan spokespersons staffs from experts in the field of Akan history, interview was used as the main form of data collection. From the study, it was evident that all spokespersons staffs (Ͻkyeame Poma), carry the philosophy of the group of people it represents. The spokespersons staffs are also respected as an embodiment of the souls of the Akan people. On the unwritten perspectives of the Akan spokespersons staff, it was evident that the Ͻkyeame"s are not linguists (as they are popularly called) but rather spokespersons.
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The COVID-19 pandemic affected many nations around the globe, including Ghana, in the first quart... more The COVID-19 pandemic affected many nations around the globe, including Ghana, in the first quarter of 2020. To avoid the spread of the virus, the Ghanaian government ordered universities to close, although most of them had only just begun the academic year. The adoption of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) had adverse effects, such as technostress, notwithstanding its advantages for both students and academic faculty. This study examined two significant antecedents: digital literacy and technology dependence. In addition, the study scrutinized the effects of technostress on two relevant student qualities: academic achievement and academic productivity. A descriptive correlational study method was used to discern the prevalence of technology-induced stress among university students in Ghana. The technostress scale was used with a sample of 525 students selected based on defined eligibility criteria. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to calculate the measurement models ...
Body marking is an intangible and a sensitive cultural variable in Ghana. Unfortunately, most ind... more Body marking is an intangible and a sensitive cultural variable in Ghana. Unfortunately, most individuals do not want to associate themselves with people who have body marks. This obvious misunderstanding of the art has led to stigmatization of the bearers of these marks. Body markings have been used as a form of identification among many cultures through several generations, Ghana has a rich culture of body marking among the various ethnic groups practice it, yet; the purpose and connotations of these marks have not been uncovered in certain parts of the country. As the study is centered on identification, it will help recognize the cultural identity of the nation by comprehending and embracing the custom of the various ethnic groups of Ghana where the need be. This research is therefore geared towards understanding the purposes and reasons for making body marks. Symbolic and interpretative anthropology and diffusionism were the theories that guided the study and are explained as s...
Asian Research Journal of Arts & Social Sciences
In African traditional religion, priding oneself in the beliefs and practices of one’s culture is... more In African traditional religion, priding oneself in the beliefs and practices of one’s culture is intensely essential. The driving force for this is mainly the need to satisfy the will of a higher power. Cultural practices, being a channel between the living, the dead and the spirits is one of the ways in which a group of people satisfy the will of these higher beings. Body marking, among the Dangme, forms a great deal of aspects of cultural practices which connotes spirituality. This study discusses the concept of spirituality as enshrined in the body marks of the Dangme people of Ghana. To obtain the relevant information needed, the qualitative approach to research has been adopted using interviews and observation as the main data collection tools. These give a rich and in-depth understanding of the body marks that are practiced for spiritual purposes among the Dangme. This paper is a collation of findings from studies conducted between February, 2012 and February, 2019. It is evi...
Body marking is an intangible and a sensitive cultural variable in Ghana. Unfortunately, most ind... more Body marking is an intangible and a sensitive cultural variable in Ghana. Unfortunately, most individuals do not want to associate themselves with people who have body marks. This obvious misunderstanding of the art has led to stigmatization of the bearers of these marks. Body markings have been used as a form of identification among many cultures through several generations, Ghana has a rich culture of body marking among the various ethnic groups practice it, yet; the purpose and connotations of these marks have not been uncovered in certain parts of the country. As the study is centered on identification, it will help recognize the cultural identity of the nation by comprehending and embracing the custom of the various ethnic groups of Ghana where the need be. This research is therefore geared towards understanding the purposes and reasons for making body marks. Symbolic and interpretative anthropology and diffusionism were the theories that guided the study and are explained as such. Three ethnic groups from Ga-Dangme were selected for the study and these are Ningo, Prampram and Ada. The qualitative research method was used, with interviews and observations being the main form of data collection instruments. Out of the overall accessible population of 90 respondents, a sample size of 60 was purposively selected based on their knowledge on the subject matter. The results of the study showed that there are different body marks that are made for different cultural reasons.
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Papers by Alice Korkor Ebeheakey