Cross-cultural Analysis of Social Work Practice: The Ghanaian Experience

Summer: 4 weeks (late May to early June)

NOTE: Not running in 2008; please continue to check this Web site for 2009 updates

Sponsored by the School of Social Work in the College of Social Science

Arranged through the Office of Study Abroad (OSA)

What's this program about?

This four -week, four-credit, experiential program in Ghana, West Africa, features a concentrated field experience, lectures, and interactions with the people of Ghana. The program involves an in-depth cross-cultural examination from a social worker’s perspective of global, social, and economic issues of development; and the various philosophies, strategies, and patterns of responses used to address hunger, health, medical care, education, and other issues impacting the people of developing countries.

The program includes a review of the role of social service agencies and governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their responses to social development limitations. It also reviews the impact of the distribution of wealth and resources in the world in general and in Ghana in particular.

While in Ghana, students will be paired with a current graduate student in the University of Ghana Department of Social Work and placed at a social services agency that fits within their interest (e.g. mental health hospital, school for children with special needs, homeless youth). The program will be taught during the first summer session where the first two weeks will be spent on campus, the next four weeks in Ghana, and the final week on campus.

Field trips will include:

Where is Ghana?

The Republic of Ghana is named after the medieval Ghana Empire of West Africa. The actual name of the Empire was Wagadugu. Ghana was the title of the kings who ruled the kingdom. It was controlled by Sundiata in 1240 AD, and absorbed into the larger Mali Empire. (Mali Empire reached its peak of success under Mansa Musa around 1307).

Some inhabitants of present Ghana had ancestors linked with the medieval Ghana. This can be traced down to the Mande and Voltaic people of Northern Ghana--Mamprussi, Dagomba and the Gonja. Ghanians come from six main ethnic groups: the Akan ( Ashanti and Fanti), the Ewe, the Ga-Adangbe, the Mole-Dagbani, the Guan, and the Gurma. The Ashanti tribe of the Akan is the largest tribe in Ghana and one of the few matrilineal societies in West Africa. The Ewe occupy southeastern Ghana and the southern parts of neighboring Togo and Benin. The Fanti tribe are mainly located in the coastal areas of Ghana. The Ga-Adangbe people inhabit the Accra Plains. The Adangbe are found to the east, the Ga groups, to the west of the Accra coastlands. The Guan are believed to have begun to migrate from the Mossi region of modern Burkina around A.D. 1000. Moving gradually through the Volta valley in a southerly direction, they created settlements along the Black Volta, throughout the Afram Plains, in the Volta Gorge, and in the Akwapim Hills before moving farther south onto the coastal plains. The major languages spoken by these tribes are Twi, Fante, Ga, Hausa, Dagbani, Ewe and Nzema.

Geographically, the old Ghana is 500 miles north of the present Ghana, and occupied the area between Rivers Senegal and Niger. Ghana is a lowland country, except for a range of hills on the eastern border. The sandy coastline is backed by a coastal plain that is crossed by several rivers and streams, generally navigable only by canoe. In the west the terrain is broken by heavily forested hills and many streams and rivers. To the north lies an undulating savanna that is drained by the Volta River, which flows south to the sea through a narrow gap in the hills. Participants will visit Lake Volta, in the east. It is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world. In the Ashanti Region, we will visit and stay at the Lake Bosomtwe Resort. Lake Bosomtwe is the most expansive natural lake in Ghana located 35 km south of Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Kingdom. We will also visit the Manhyia Palace, the official residence of the Ashanti King; Bonwire, the Kente cloth weaving centre, and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

Ghana is an English-speaking country situated on the coast of West Africa just north of the equator. Ghana is bounded on the north and northwest by Burkina Faso, on the east by Togo, on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by Côte d'Ivoire. It is one of the most beautiful and ethnically diverse countries in Africa with a stable democracy and friendly people. Formerly a British colony known as the Gold Coast, Ghana was the first nation in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve independence in 1957. The country is named after the ancient empire of Ghana, from which the ancestors of the inhabitants of the present country are thought to have migrated. Many African Americans trace their roots to Ghana and other countries in West Africa. The country is made up of 10 regions: Greater Accra, Central, Western, Eastern, Ashanti, Volta, Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper West and Upper East.

What can I study?

Students will be required to enroll for a minimum of four (4) credits from the following courses:

SW 470	Foreign Area Studies in Social Work	2–12 cr.
SW 890	Independent Study	1–4 cr.

What are the requirements?

Students must be in good academic standing, with a grade point average of at least 2.5 at the time of application. Meeting this minimum grade point average does not, however, guarantee admission. Students must also have some social work foundation courses or be admitted by the instructor.

Applicants’ participation may be denied or their participation approval may be revoked if their conduct before departure raises doubts as to their suitability for program participation.

Where will I live?

Students will reside in University Guest Houses and Resorts

Who can tell me more about this program?

DeBrenna L. Agbenyiga, Ph.D., LMSW
Assistant Professor
School of Social Work
104 Baker Hall
Phone: (517) 432-4459
E-mail: agbenyi1@msu.edu

Oumatie Marajh
College of Social Science
201C Berkey Hall
Phone: (517) 353-9202
E-mail: marajhou@msu.edu

Do I need a passport or visa?

U.S. and non-U.S. citizens need a valid passport both to enter other countries and to return to the United States. If you already have a passport, make sure it is valid until at least six months after your return date. If you must apply for or renew a passport, APPLY EARLY, since a minimum of twelve weeks are usually required for processing. During peak travel seasons, more processing time is required. Passport forms are available at many federal and state courts, probate courts, some county/municipal offices and some post offices. They can also be downloaded from the Web.

For more information about passports visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/passports.html

A visa is official permission granted by the authorities of a country where you will study or travel that allows you to enter and remain in that country for a specific purpose. The visa itself is frequently a stamp in your passport, not a separate document. You will need a passport before applying for a visa and the passport plus visa process may take several months, so start early. It is your responsibility to inquire about visa requirements for all countries you plan to visit while abroad; this includes countries that you plan to visit before or after your study abroad program.

For more information about visas visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/visas.html

Are there special health issues?

As part of your acceptance you will complete a Student Health/Emergency Treatment Authorization. It is your responsibility to ensure that your routine immunizations are up-to-date; inquire whether there are recommended and/or required immunizations or medications for the country/countries you will visit (including any countries you will visit that are not part of the study abroad program’s itinerary); and review educational issues relevant to your personal health and safety.

For further health information and recommendations visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/health.html

How much does it cost?

The program fee in 2007 was $2,107 and included the following:

Amounts not included in the program fee for which participants will need to budget include:

Students may request a cost sheet which estimates these additional expenses not included in the program fee by contacting the Office of Study Abroad at (517) 353-8920.

Approximately two months before the program’s departure date, students will receive an e-bill from the MSU Student Accounts Office for the study abroad program fee. Students will also be e-billed for tuition and fees, based on the number of credits taken, once they have enrolled in courses. (Both amounts may be billed at the same time.)

*Check http://www.ctlr.msu.edu/studrec/ for current tuition, fees and taxes. MSU students pay the same amount they would pay to study at MSU; non-MSU students pay the Lifelong Education rate, regardless of state of residence.

Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.

How can I get help to pay for it?

Financial assistance is available to students who make appropriate arrangements with the Office of Study Abroad (OSA) and MSU’s Office of Financial Aid.

If you are an MSU student and indicate on your application that you plan to use financial aid to pay for your study abroad experience, OSA will forward an estimated cost sheet to the MSU Office of Financial Aid for processing. This form will include all anticipated costs associated with the program, including airfare.

If you are a non-MSU student, please request financial aid from your home university. If your university is unable to award you financial aid, contact the MSU Office of Study Abroad to apply for loans only and you will be provided with instructions on how to proceed.

For further information about financial aid visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/finaid/index.html

Additionally, MSU students applying to any credit-bearing study abroad program are eligible for OSA Scholarships. Some scholarships are based exclusively on academic performance; others are based on a combination of academic performance and financial need. Requirements are listed in the scholarship application. The deadline to apply for these scholarships is March 1st for summer programs.

A generous endowment from the MSU Federal Credit Union, as well as additional resources provided through the Forest Akers Endowment, MSU Alumni Association, the Australia-Pacific Council, Eleanor and Charles Greenleaf Sr., Brigitte and Thomas Huff, the Georges Jules Joyaux Memorial Fund, the Kellogg Foundation, Charles and Marjorie Gliozzo, and contributors to the Overseas Study Endowment provide funding for these OSA scholarships.

For even more MSU scholarship opportunities through individual colleges or external scholarship possibilities (including funding for Multicultural students) visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/scholarships/index.html

How do I apply?

You can apply online or download an application form by visiting http://studyabroad.msu.edu/applications/index.html

Applications must be received in the Office of Study Abroad by March 1st for summer programs. We strongly recommend that you apply early as this program may fill to capacity prior to this deadline.

Selection of applicants is done on a rolling admission basis - that is, applications are accepted and students are evaluated and considered for admission throughout the academic year. Please remember that applying early and meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission.

A $100 application fee is required. Students will receive an e-bill for the application fee that is applied to the cost of the program and is non-refundable once a student has accepted admission into the program. Students who have accepted admission may also be billed for a non-refundable and non-transferable $200 deposit, also applied to the cost of the program.

Students who wish to withdraw their application are required to notify the Office of Study Abroad, in writing, that they no longer intend to participate.

Acceptance to all programs is based, minimally, on a faculty review of your transcript and a review of the Judicial Affairs Office records (MSU students) or Dean of Students Reference (non-MSU students).

Details about the admissions process, pre-departure information, what to know while you’re abroad, and information about returning home can be found in the Study Abroad Student Handbook that will be sent to you with your acceptance letter. You can also read the handbook online at http://studyabroad.msu.edu/abcs/index.html.

Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.

What's next?
Come to a study abroad fair
Talk with a Peer Adviser
Read program evaluations
Attend an info meeting
Apply online
Additional Resources...
Office of Financial Aid	252 Student Services http://www.finaid.msu.edu
MSU Travel Clinic	East Circle Drive http://travelclinic.msu.edu
Academic Advisers	http://www.msu.edu/common/academic/units.html
Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities	120 Bessey Hall http://www.rcpd.msu.edu
Area Studies Centers	International Center http://www.isp.msu.edu
MSU Global Access	Information about the world -- its regions and peoples and important international issues International Center http://www.msuglobalaccess.net/
OSA contact info:	Office of Study Abroad Michigan State University 109 International Center East Lansing, MI 48824-1035 Phone: (517) 353-8920 Fax: (517) 432-2082 Email: studyabroad@osa.msu.edu