From the skyscrapers and slums of the capital, Accra, to the mud-hut villages of the northern savanna, students in GEOG 388: Urban Lives & Livelihoods in Ghana will experience the diverse territories and populations of this West African country. BIOL 344, SOCL 478, and GEOG 388 will run concurrently and travel together around Ghana.

Ghana is undergoing rapid population growth and urbanization, especially in the south. The growing middle & upper classes contrast starkly with the proliferation of slums and squatter settlements in and around cities. We will study both social (gender, economic, quality of life, etc.) and environmental (flooding, pollution, etc.) consequences of this rapid urbanization. To understand urban lives and livelihoods (and peoples’ motivation for rural to urban migration), we must also understand rural areas, which often lack health care, sanitation, quality schooling, and employment opportunities. This course will introduce students to opportunities, challenges, and ethical issues surrounding development and urban and rural living.

Travel to most of Ghana’s varied regions will include urban, rural and peri-urban destinations. Course-related excursions are the focus of class discussion, and often the “classroom” is a restaurant or our bus. The approach will be largely experiential and applied learning, with varied site visits, and service learning. Sites will include markets, ports, businesses, neighborhoods, service (water/sewer/sanitation) providers, microfinance programs, schools, community development projects, and more – to learn about challenging problems and innovative solutions. We will also take excursions to national parks, for a tropical forest canopy walk, and an elephant safari. Cultural and historic sites are also featured in this course, and you will learn to drum and dance, study the local language, and enjoy a few days at a beach resort.

This course will coincide with Ghana - BIOL 344: Global Health Issues 806 and Ghana - SOCL 478: Global Development in Ghana.