By: Emmanuel M. J. TamanjaVenue: GB III, Room 214TU Dortmund University

Date: September 18, 2014Time: From 14:15 to 14:30

Temporary migration and multilocational living arrangements in Ghana: The decisive background factors

Introduction Part of my Ph.D project on Child migration and educational

progression in Ghana

Motivations for migration: economic, pursuit of education and peer influence

Migration decisions: tripatide involvement of individual migrants, households and communities on a continuum of unilateral, consultative and imposition

All respondent migrants interviewed wanted to return to thier home villages after some time in migration

2Background Background

Origin and main destinations of migrants

3Background Background

4Background Background

Homes of migrants in their villages of origin

Many prominent people in Ghana and Africa do not cut ties with their places of originThey live and work in urban areas but maintain families and houses in their home towns

and villages to return at old age or their bodies are sent home for burial when they die. For example:

5Background Background

Person Burial place

Nelson Mandela – 1st President of South Africa(1994 – 1999)

Kwame Nkrumah – 1st President of Ghana (1957 - 1966)

Hilla Limann – President of Ghana‘s 3rd Republic (1979 - 1981)

Nkroful

Gwolu

Qunu

1. Why is migration incomplete in Ghana?

2. Why are migrants unable to break ties with their places of origin?

6

Research questions

IntroductionIntroduction

The decisive background factors

Guiding theory

Multi-locational household theory

Phenomenon of informal rural-urban exchange within

spatially split household arrangements (Schmidt-Kallert 2012; Dick and Reuschke, 2012)

7Theoritical frameworkTheoritical framework

Primary and secondary

Migrants (Adult & Children)• In-depth single face-to-face

interviews• Group discusions

Other respondents • Single face-to-face interviews• Group discusions • Expert interviews

Observation

Image data documents (maps & pictures)

Secondary data

8

Research design and data collection

Data collection Data Processing

MethodologyMethodology

Editing :• Transcribe audio interviews• Synchronising transcribed data with

field dairy notes• Complementing transcribed data and

field notes with observations

Extract/build themes from data

Organise image data

Narrative study

Sampling and sample

Sample

35 Child migrants

12 Adult migrants and parents of child migrants

2 Community discussions

9

Purposive and snowball sampling

MethodologyMethodology

Culture and identity

10Findings Findings

Maintenance of culture and identity through chiefs and elders

Ancestral and place of origin attachment

11Findings Findings

Communion with ancesters and spirits of the land of origin

Family/household affiliation

12Findings Findings

Ties and commitment to the component of the houehold or family back home

Networks

Family and home village-based social networks helps in:

Perpetuating migration

Remittances

Commitment and obligation to the home village

13

Although economic, education and peers influence are the main motivational factors for migration in Ghana, the temporal and multilocational features of the phenomenon are deeply rooted in strong ethnic identities and ties to places of origin. These results in the creation and maintenance of spatially split households between rural underdeveloped origins and urban destinations.

14Conclusion Conclusion

Recommendations Effective collaboration between local government and

traditional authorities, ethnic and hometown based networks to promote local economic development

Streamline ancestral worship (through bye-laws) to promote education of children and harmonious living with non indigenes and people of different faith

Harmonise activities of hometown based networks to promote remittances by individual members in support of the elderly and younger kin as well as development projects in their origin communities

15Conclusion Conclusion