Mobile technology and Akan proverbs moral relevance in modern Ghanaian society

Abstract

Akans pride themselves as one of the great custodians of tradition among ethnic groups in Ghana. However recent trends among the younger generation indicate that there is a gradual shift from this age old assumption. A critical look at the behaviour of the youth of the Akan show that they are not in tune with the values of the Akan. Hitherto there were oral traditions of which one was proverbs that steered the youth in the right direction. In recent times proverbs have lost its place in the moral foundation of the Akan youth because they barely know the proverbs. This study aims at making Akan proverbs relevant in the moral education of contemporary Akan youth via the use of mobile technology named Sankofa Abɛbuo. It sought to assemble twenty Akan proverbs on mobile application software to make proverbs readily available to the youth. In doing this, qualitative research instrument such as interviews and questionnaire were used in data collection. However, the descriptive and thematic analysis techniques were used for analysis of data obtained from questionnaires and interviews. The study revealed that proverbs, one of the bedrock of morality, has lost its place in the lives of the youth and will gradually lose its place among Akans with the passage of time. The study also noted that traditional institutions of socialization of the youth on the cultural ideal have given up on their duty, giving way to western values propagated mostly by formal education, media and technology. The implication of this is a social climate where the youth are alienated from their culture and live by an adopted culture that is seen by the society as a deviation from the norm. Therefore, this research recommends that the society should take advantage of the youth’s affinity to the media, technology and formal education and channel proverbs to them to reinforce socially accepted behaviour.