Community vs. Individual Development in Christian Social Practice in Ghana
This paper critically explores the development of the individual body space as paramount to the community’s communalism in the pursuit of the practice of diakonia or Christian social practice in Ghana. It argues that the practice of their communalistic values in the Africa community has been overemp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Verlage
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Diaconia |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.13109/diac.2020.11.2.193 |
| _version_ | 1819114767304884224 |
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| author | David Stiles-Ocran |
| author_facet | David Stiles-Ocran |
| author_sort | David Stiles-Ocran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper critically explores the development of the individual body space as paramount to the community’s communalism in the pursuit of the practice of diakonia or Christian social practice in Ghana. It argues that the practice of their communalistic values in the Africa community has been overemphasized to the detriment of individual members. Based on empirical data gathered through interviews and observation, the paper regards how the practice of ritual servitudes (otherwise known as Trokosi) betrays the generalized concept of African communalism, Ubuntu, as a philosophy that upholds and promotes the dignity of individual members of a community. Ritual servitude is a practice among some communities of West Africa that evades and undermines the body spaces of innocent women and children. It asserts that, for Ghana as well as Africa to ensure gender equality as sustainable development, it is crucial to revisit and inculcate the value of individuality as part of communalism in all development agendas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T04:50:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bcd71bf7b76742b691ea177d46be42fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1869-3261 2196-9027 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T04:50:32Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Verlage |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diaconia |
| spelling | doaj.art-bcd71bf7b76742b691ea177d46be42fc2022-12-21T18:38:29ZengVandenhoeck & Ruprecht VerlageDiaconia1869-32612196-90272020-12-0111219320810.13109/diac.2020.11.2.193Community vs. Individual Development in Christian Social Practice in GhanaDavid Stiles-Ocran0Faculty of TheologyThis paper critically explores the development of the individual body space as paramount to the community’s communalism in the pursuit of the practice of diakonia or Christian social practice in Ghana. It argues that the practice of their communalistic values in the Africa community has been overemphasized to the detriment of individual members. Based on empirical data gathered through interviews and observation, the paper regards how the practice of ritual servitudes (otherwise known as Trokosi) betrays the generalized concept of African communalism, Ubuntu, as a philosophy that upholds and promotes the dignity of individual members of a community. Ritual servitude is a practice among some communities of West Africa that evades and undermines the body spaces of innocent women and children. It asserts that, for Ghana as well as Africa to ensure gender equality as sustainable development, it is crucial to revisit and inculcate the value of individuality as part of communalism in all development agendas.https://doi.org/10.13109/diac.2020.11.2.193ubuntucommunity developmentcommunalismtrokosiritual servitudeindividualityspaceghana |
| spellingShingle | David Stiles-Ocran Community vs. Individual Development in Christian Social Practice in Ghana Diaconia ubuntu community development communalism trokosi ritual servitude individuality space ghana |
| title | Community vs. Individual Development in Christian Social
Practice in Ghana |
| title_full | Community vs. Individual Development in Christian Social
Practice in Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Community vs. Individual Development in Christian Social
Practice in Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Community vs. Individual Development in Christian Social
Practice in Ghana |
| title_short | Community vs. Individual Development in Christian Social
Practice in Ghana |
| title_sort | community vs individual development in christian social practice in ghana |
| topic | ubuntu community development communalism trokosi ritual servitude individuality space ghana |
| url | https://doi.org/10.13109/diac.2020.11.2.193 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidstilesocran communityvsindividualdevelopmentinchristiansocialpracticeinghana |