Socially gated communities and urban development. A case of selected Christian Religious Groups in Ghana.

Abstract

Religion is a vital and fascinating component of sociocultural that has to be looked at. Some religious organizations in Ghana have their territory reserved just for their members and are isolated from other communities. These communities are different from prayer camps where members are not permanent residents of the camps, they usually leave when they receive their prayer requests. Residents of socially gated communities are permanent residents and have strong communal relationships among their members. Existing research on urban development in Ghana has mostly focused on physically gated neighbourhoods, overlooking the unique characteristics and effects of socially gated religious communities. This study filled the gap by investigating the unique contributions of these groups to Ghana's urban development agenda. Specifically, this research explores the features of the selected socially gated religious communities, analyzes the socio-economic relationships that exist among the members of the selected religious communities, and finally, examines the contributions of socially gated religious communities to the urban development agenda of their respective towns. The thesis is based on two socially gated religious communities and takes a qualitative approach, using purposive and convenience sampling techniques, social inclusion and exclusion theory served as the analytical foundation for the research, as well as a phenomenology research design by using the constructivist worldview. Based on the first objective, it was revealed that SDTWC founded in 1977, has grown from 11 members to thousands nationwide. Saviour Church of Ghana: established in 1924, it grew through reported miracles and Sabbath observance. Leaders received land donations to build churches and communities. The church focuses on three pillars: agriculture, education, and health. The study concluded that the religious communities studied have in mind that their closeness to the larger urban communities might dilute their strong belief in God, hence they believe physical exclusion is the best way to get closer to God. However, the findings show that, in their so-called exclusion, they tend to help their respective communities with physical infrastructural development, most of which are eventually open to the non-members of the church to patronize causing inclusion. It was recommended that, leaders of the socially gated religious communities should actively encourage their members to uphold existing relationships with non-members, recognizing the important role these connections play in sustaining unity between members and non-members. It was also recommended that, socially gated communities should continue to collaborate with local community leaders such as chiefs, districts, and municipal heads to enhance their contributions Keywords: