Adolescent psychosocial identity development associated with traditional rituals and rites of passage in the Bosomtwe District of Ghana

Abstract

This study aimed to explore how adolescents in the Bosomtwe District of Ghana experience their psychological identity development in relation to participating in traditional rituals and rites of passage. This study employed a phenomenology case study design. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from participants. The data was analysed through thematic content analysis. The study participants comprised adolescent learners, teachers and parents, who were purposefully selected. Twenty (20) adolescent learners participated in the focus group discussion, whereas twelve (12) teachers, twelve (12) parents and eight (8) adolescent learners participated in the individual interviews. Findings show that adolescents typically experience their psychological identity development while they participate in traditional rituals and rites of passage in varied and diversified ways. The study found that these initiation processes exposed adolescents to unique cultural values, aided them in developing a broader worldview and might inspire them to explore their identities and beliefs. Furthermore, adolescents experienced increased self-awareness and improved social skills due to participating in ritualisation processes. In contrast, the study also revealed that not all adolescents have positive experiences, as this initiation in the Bosomtwe District may serve to reinforce harmful gender norms, exclusionary practices, or other forms of discrimination. Above all, it is critical to underline that counselling services should strongly emphasise the value of family and community support to assist adolescents' identity development. Hence, a collaborative approach involving guidance counsellors and other professionals, community members, and their leaders is recommended when providing counselling services to adolescents. Policymakers might support efforts to advance inclusivity and cultural diversity by promoting, funding, and maintaining traditional practices. The study also suggests creating policies and structures to encourage integrating traditional practices in formal schooling as it significantly empowers youth and community practice. Future research needs to be comparative studies to comprehend the distinctive features of traditional practices in the Bosomtwe District of Ghana and how they differ from those in other regions of Africa.

Die doel van hierdie studie was om te verken hoe adolessente in die Bosomtwe-distrik van Ghana hulle sielkundige identiteitsontwikkeling ervaar ten opsigte van hulle deelname aan tradisionele rituele en deurgangsrites. Die studie het ’n fenomenologiese gevallestudie-ontwerp gebruik. Fokusgroepbesprekings en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gebruik om data van deelnemers in te samel en deur tematiese inhoudsontleding te ontleed. Die studiedeelnemers het bestaan uit adolessente leerders, onderwysers en ouers wat doelgerig geselekteer is. Twintig adolessente leerders het aan die fokusgroepbesprekings deelgeneem, terwyl twaalf onderwysers, twaalf ouers en agt adolessente leerders aan die individuele onderhoude deelgeneem het. Bevindinge toon dat adolessente tipies hulle sielkundige identiteitsontwikkeling ervaar terwyl hulle op verskillende maniere aan tradisionele rituele en deurgangsrites deelneem. Die studie het bevind dat hierdie inisiasieprosesse adolessente aan unieke kulturele waardes blootstel, hulle wêreldbeskouing verbreed en hulle kan inspireer om hulle identiteite en oortuigings te verken. Verder het adolessente verhoogde selfbewustheid en verbeterde sosiale vaardighede ervaar deur aan ritualiseringsprosesse deel te neem. Die studie het egter ook aan die lig gebring dat nie alle adolessente positiewe ervarings het nie, aangesien hierdie inisiasie in die Bosomtwe-distrik moontlik skadelike gedragsnorme, uitsluitingspraktyke of ander vorme van diskriminasie kan versterk. Bowenal is dit van kritieke belang dat beradingsdienste die waarde van gesins- en gemeenskapsondersteuning beklemtoon om adolessente se sielkundige identiteitsontwikkeling te help. Daarom word ’n samewerkende benadering wat voorligtingsberaders en ander professionele persone, gemeenskapslede en hulle leiers betrek, aanbeveel wanneer beradingsdienste aan adolessente verskaf word. Beleidmakers kan pogings ondersteun om inklusiwiteit en kulturele diversiteit te bevorder deur tradisionele praktyke te bevorder, te befonds en te handhaaf. Die studie stel ook voor dat beleid en strukture geskep word om integrasie van tradisionele praktyke in formele skoolopleiding aan te moedig aangesien dit die jeug- en gemeenskapspraktyke aansienlik bemagtig. Toekomstige navorsing moet vergelykende studies insluit om die kenmerkende eienskappe van tradisionele praktyke in die Bosomtwe-distrik te verstaan – en hoe dit van dié in ander streke van Afrika verskil.

Lolu cwaningo luhloselwe ukuhlola ukuthi abantwana abasakhula esifundeni sase-Bosomtwe e-Ghana bakuthola kanjani ukuthuthuka kobunikazi babo obungokwengqondo ngokuhlobene nokubamba iqhaza kwabo emikhubeni yendabuko namasiko okudlula. Ucwaningo lusebenzise umklamo wocwaningo ochaza ngezinto abantu abahlangabezana nazo ezimpilweni zabo. Izingxoxo zeqembu okugxilwe kuzo kanye nezingxoxo ezihlelwe kancane zisetshenzisiwe ukuqoqa imininingwane kubahlanganyeli futhi imininingwane yahlaziywa ngokuhlaziywa kokuqukethwe kwendikimba. Abahlanganyeli bocwaningo bahlanganisa abantwana abasakhula, othisha nabazali, abakhethwe ngenhloso. Abantwana abasakhula abangamashumi amabili babambe iqhaza engxoxweni yeqembu, kanti othisha abayishumi nambili, abazali abayishumi nambili kanye nabantwana abayisishiyagalombili abasakhula babambe iqhaza ezingxoxweni zomuntu ngamunye. Okutholakele kubonisa ukuthi abantwana abasakhula bavamise ukuzwa ukukhula kobunikazi babo bengqondo kuyilapho babamba iqhaza emikhubeni yendabuko nemikhuba yamasiko ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene. Ucwaningo luthole ukuthi lezi zinqubo zokuthwasa zidalule abantwana abasakhula kuzindinganiso zamasiko eziyingqayizivele, zandisa umbono wazo womhlaba futhi zingase zibakhuthaze ukuba bahlole ubunjalo nezinkolelo zabo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abantwana abasakhula bathola ukuzazi okuthuthukile kanye namakhono omphakathi athuthukisiwe ngokubamba iqhaza ezinqubeni zamasiko. Kodwa-ke, lolu cwaningo luphinde lwembula ukuthi akubona bonke abantwana abasakhula abahlangabezane nokuhle, njengoba lokhu kuthwasa esifundeni saseBosomtwe kungase kuqinise imikhuba yobulili eyingozi, imikhuba yokubandlulula, noma ezinye izinhlobo zokucwasa. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, kubalulekile ukuthi izinsizakalo zokwelulekwa zigcizelele kakhulu ukubaluleka kokwesekwa komndeni nomphakathi ukusiza ukuthuthukiswa kobunikazi kwabantwana abasakhula. Ngakho-ke, kuphakanyiswa indlela yokusebenzisana ehlanganisa abeluleki bezeluleko nabanye ochwepheshe, amalungu omphakathi nabaholi bawo lapho kuhlinzekwa izinsizakalo zokwelulekwa ebantwaneni abasakhula. Abenzi benqubomgomo bangase basekele imizamo yokuqhubekisela phambili ukubandakanywa nokuhlukahluka kwamasiko ngokukhuthaza, ukuxhasa ngezimali, nokugcina imikhuba yendabuko. Lolu cwaningo luphinde luphakamise ukuthi kwakhiwe izinqubomgomo nezinhlaka ezikhuthaza ukuhlanganiswa kwemikhuba yendabuko esikoleni esisemthethweni njengoba kunika amandla intsha kanye nezinqubo zomphakathi. Ucwaningo lwesikhathi esizayo ludinga ukufaka izifundo zokuqhathanisa ukuze kuqondwe izici ezihlukile zemikhuba yendabuko esiFundeni saseBosomtwe - nokuthi zihluke kanjani kulezo ezikwezinye izifunda zase-Afrika.