Challenging Coloniality, Building Collaboration: Ghana Studies at ASAUK

There has been a recent revival in a long tradition of scholarship on intellectual and cultural production in Ghana and its connection to political activism. Breaking out of earlier preoccupations with nationalism and nation-building, some notable works have refocused attention on prominent Ghanaian thinkers as ‘world-makers’ (Getachew 2019) and as the creators and proponents of distinctive visions of ‘anticolonial modernity’ (Gerits 2023). This shift in perspective has been particularly striking among scholars who focus on anticolonial struggles of the mid- and late-twentieth century. This stream provides an opportunity to extend this shift in perspective to a wider field of research. We seek papers which, from different disciplinary standpoints, engage with the following questions:

• In what ways can concepts such as ‘world-making’ be useful to scholars working on Ghanaian literature, film, and media?

• Can the concept of ‘anticolonial modernity’ be useful in rethinking urgent issues of social and economic justice, and reforming institutions (universities, schools, courts, social services) in Ghana?

• How can these concepts inform our understandings and practices of scholarly and activist collaboration across geopolitical and mental borders in the 21st century?

The stream will culminate in a roundtable to discuss how UK-based scholars who focus on Ghana can forge stronger linkages with one another, with colleagues in Ghana, and with the Ghana Studies Association.

If you would like to propose an individual paper or a panel of papers, please email:
Kate Skinner (University of Bristol, UK), Jovia Salifu (University of Education, Winneba), and Cyrelene Amoah-Boampong (University of Ghana, Legon) on kate.skinner@bristol.ac.uk salifuj@gmail.com and caboampong@ug.edu.gh

If you would like to participate in the roundtable, or recommend someone as a participant, please email: Nana Yaw Boampong Sapong (University of Ghana, Legon) and Vicky Ellen Smith (Bath Spa University, UK) on nysapong@ug.edu.gh and v.smith3@bathspa.ac.uk