Social life in Ghana
Renowned for its high quality education system, Ghana is home to four major universities. These include the University of Ghana in Legon (north of Accra), the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, the University of Cape Coast and the new University of Development Studies in Tamale. All Ghanaian youths attend compulsory schooling up to the age of 14. It should be noted here that students wishing to enter university must first spend a year working for the government in exchange for a relatively small salary. Military service is not mandatory in Ghana (it is more of a vocational vocation). Then when they reach retirement age, Ghanaians stay with their families. This is because in Ghana there is no retirement as such, at least not as we understand it in our Western societies. The "old ladies", as the younger ones affectionately call them, are never far away, always ready to make themselves useful in the house. They are always ready to help out around the house, to sweep the floors, to cut vegetables and cook, to look after the children, and so on.
When they are not working, Ghanaians enjoy chatting and drinking beers at the maquis (the small local bar) with their friends. The women are rather coquettish and spend a lot of time taking care of their beauty, not hesitating to help each other to stay in top shape. The youngest ones spend an endless amount of time playing soccer.
Ghanaian customs
If you are a woman traveling to Ghana, you will not encounter any particular problems. Most of those who have visited Ghana have good memories of the welcome they received and say that they were rarely bothered. However, there are a few things that may not seem like a big deal to us Westerners, but which are foreign to Ghanaian culture and would not be well understood. It is for example incongruous to see a woman hitchhiking or traveling by bicycle in Ghana! Regarding polygamy, the Ghanaian government tolerates Muslim men being married to up to four women. As for homosexuality, this sexual preference is beyond comprehension in Ghana.
Greetings. In Ghana, as in much of sub-Saharan Africa, the way one's body is inhabited and used socially is paramount. For example, Ghanaians greet each other by shaking hands before hugging. The way of greeting becomes more sophisticated when two friends meet. One of the friends vigorously sends the palm of his or her hand toward the other's in a way that causes a loud clap. Then, as the two hands move away from each other, each slides his middle finger against the other's middle finger so that they snap as the fingers separate.
