Assignment 4

Aaaayy,

This week's assignment involves researching about Ghana and reporting our findings. We have to discuss demographic facts as well as analyze the Ghanaian standard of living.

Demographics

1. Population and profile (which age groups make up largest portion of society?)

• Ghana's population stands at over 25 million people, with children making up the largest portion of society. Included here is an interesting picture of how Ghana's population is distributed among age.
2. Birth and Death rate & life expectancy (include gender differences)
• Ghana has a birth rate of 681, while its death rate is 216. Its life expectancy is 61 years of age, high compared to most other African countries.
• Male life expectancy is 60 years while female life expectancy is almost 63 years
3. Literacy rate (include gender differences)
• 60% of the country is literate
• 66.4% of males can read while 49.8% of females can
4. Top 2 major causes of death (general population)
•  Diarrheal diseases (from inadequate sanitation)
• HIV/AIDS
5. Major Exports and Imports
• Exports: gold, cocoa, timber
• Imports: capital equipment, petroleum, food
6. Percentage of population below poverty line
•  28% below Ghana's poverty line, but 49% live on less than $1 a day
7. Unemployment rate (urban versus rural, north versus south)
•  11% national
8. Average educational attainment
• The average school life expectancy from primary to tertiary school is 10 years, with females averaging a year less than males
9. Typical House construction, size, and cost
• In rural areas the average home is one or two rooms made out of mud, found nearby
• In cities, houses are often one or two rooms constructed out of sun-dried mud bricks. They also are often communal houses
10. Prevalence of internet and cell phone users
• 1.3 million internet users
• 17 million cell phone users

Standard of Living Analysis

Discuss what you think is the country’s standard of living—high, medium or low—and the reasons why the country has that specific standard of living focusing on the following 5 categories:

I think Ghana's standard of living is relatively low to medium on the world scale, but high compared to other African countries. From my research thus far, I can see that poverty in Ghana is on a whole different level than anything we know here, with 78% of the population living on less than $2 a day. Because of the economic disadvantages faced by the people there, Ghanaians face a whole set of problems and threats to life that don't exist in other parts of the world.

1. Physical Geography.  What is it about the physical geography of the country that creates advantages or disadvantages for people in the country? Think about climate, vegetation, landforms, bodies of water, and natural resources.
• The geography of Ghana creates a fairly large set of opportunities for its citizens. Because it has lots of farmland and rich agriculture, agriculture continues to be Ghana's largest source of employment and economic activity.
• Ghana's fairly tropical climate and position on the coast also allows the country to benefit from the fishing and fruit industries.
• This hot and humid weather, however, provides favorable conditions for mosquito growth, the cause of Ghana's incredibly high rate of malaria cases and deaths.
2. Government System.  What type of government runs the country and how effective is it? Is there corruption? What kinds of freedoms are present and/or lacking? 
• Ghana is run in a democratic manner. Although there is some corruption, as in all governments, basic freedoms are guaranteed.
• Even though basic freedoms are in place, basic needs are often not met.
• An incredibly unequal distribution of wealth persists in Ghana
3. Economic System: How do people make money (what are sources of employment?).  Average wages for different professions? What kind of economic system dominates the country? Does the country have a trade deficit or surplus?  
• Job breakdown: Agriculture 56%, industry 15%, services 29%
• Although Ghana is a capitalist system, the country's whole way of life does not reflect the self-seeking tendencies of other capitalist countries.
• Ghana's minimum wage is 3.7 Cedis a day, or right about $2
• Ghana is currently experiencing a trade deficit of -5.4%, but its GDP real growth rate is a staggering 13.5%, 2nd in the world. 
4. History.  What has happened in the country’s past (distant and more recent) that impacted its current standard of living?   Revolutions, wars, stability, conquest, technological advances, discoveries, etc.? 
• Ghana's economic and political stability make it shine on the continent of Africa. However, having only recently broken away from British rule leaves the country far behind the privileged countries of the West in terms of technology and standard of living
5. Cultural Factors.  What cultural factors affect the standard of living in the country? Things to consider: religion, cultural traditions, gender roles, class, food, music, and dance.
• Cultural factors that affect the standard of living in Ghana include the strong emphasis on family and community. This whole focus on the group rather than the individual may lead to a lower standard of living, but I argue that it more importantly leads to a higher QUALITY of living, something completely missing in the Western world.
• Focusing on dance, food, and family to bring people together means Ghanaians view economic progress as not the most important part of life. Although this may mean less affluence and material comfort, the people of Ghana still seem to be generally happy.
6. Relate the above to your project.
•  Knowing the history and background of Ghana will help me at the HOPE orphanage tremendously. Knowing what the kids face and where they come from will allow me to better relate to them, as well as to be able to effectively teach them things relevant to their lives.
• Seeing how their lifestyles differ from ours also will give me the ability to be open to learning during our project, and also to not try to approach the experience with a closed mind.
• Learning the priorities of their culture will also allow me to keep in mind that the goals and motives behind what we teach them may not be relevant for them. Keeping this in mind will allow us to cater our activities and teaching to their needs, rather than our expectations of their needs.

Sources:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gh.html

http://census.gov/ipc/www/idb/pyramids.html

-Benyonce'