The Cultural Lens of Childhood
Exploring Parents’ Awareness of Children’s Participation in Family Decision-Making in Akropong-Akuapem, Ghana
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12191930 |
|---|---|
| Authors | John Quarshie (District Minister, Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Mamfe District, Mamfe-Akuapem, Ghana, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 380-408 |
| Publication date | 2024-06-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The International Journal of Children s Rights (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0927-5568 • E-ISSN: 1571-8182 |
| Publisher | Brill (PUBLISHER • NL) |
| DOI | 10.1163/15718182-32020002 |
| OpenAlex | W4399691409 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
This study explores how parents’ understanding of childhood shapes their awareness and support for children’s participation in family decision-making in Akropong Akuapem, Ghana. Adopting the interpretivist paradigm, a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 43 parents conveniently sampled revealed three key themes: dependency; identity formation; and empowerment. Understanding childhood as a period of dependence, parents acknowledge their role as duty-bearers towards their children who are right-holders. Childhood’s role in shaping identity highlights the strong bond between children, families and the community, notably through naming ceremonies and puberty rites. Additionally, considering childhood as an empowering system emphasises children’s active contributions to their development. The study advocates for nurturing childhood as a period of empowerment, facilitating active children’s participation in family decisions concerning them whilst upholding rich cultural values. These insights have practical implications for Ghanaian culture and human rights
Developmental psychology · Duty · Early childhood · Empowerment · Identity (music · Political science · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Children's Rights and Participation · Early Childhood Education and Development · Gender Studies · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Psychology · Social Psychology
The Oxford Handbook of Children's Rights Law
Social Research Methods
What Politics
A practical guide to reflexivity in qualitative research
A Handbook of Children and Young People’s Participation
Factors associated with quality of life among joint and nuclear families
A Handbook of Children and Young People’s Participation
Children as ‘Being and Becomings’
Parental Wellbeing, Parenting and Child Development in Ghanaian Families with Young Children
Ethical considerations in social work research
Social workers' perceptions of children's right to participation
Children's Rights in Ghana
Voice’ is not enough
Abuse of Children in West Africa
The practice of social research
Conducting Thematic Analysis with Qualitative Data
Criteria for assessing the trustworthiness of naturalistic inquiries
Embracing the past
Lost and Found
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |