Social and Cultural Impact on Distant Education in Ghana

544 Words3 Pages
Culture, is the patterns of behavior and thinking that people living in social groups learn, create, and share. Culture distinguishes one human group from others. A people's culture includes their beliefs, rules of behavior, language, rituals, art, and technology, styles of dress, ways of producing and cooking food, religion, and political and economic systems (Microsoft Encarta 2009). A persons mind set and his reaction to what goes on around him finds roots in his cultural and social background. In delivering distance education in Ghana therefore, we should be mindful of the socio-cultural environment in which we operate. Four socio-cultural features of Ghana to be mindful of in delivering distance education are discussed below. A sense of community: The Ghanaians has a sense of community and usually likes to identify himself as a member of a group. Culturally, communal livings find expression for example in the extended family, clans, tribes and secret societies. Group activities should therefore be encouraged in delivering distance education in Ghana. This can be achieved for example through group assignments, group discussions, internet discussion forums and group presentations. Discrimination against women: Women in pre-modern Ghanaian society were seen as bearers of children, retailers of fish, they were expected to draw water, cook, wash, till the land and run the household. With practically everything done manually then, their lives were made all the more burdensome. Administrative positions were almost all the time a reserve of men. Even though this outlook on life is changing, it largely still persists with some subtlety and something is blatantly revealed in our actions. In the administration of distance education in Ghana therefore it should be seen to that women are not discriminated against. People should be assigned duties and appointed
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