The Historicity and Dynamics of Chieftaincy in Ghana
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In Africa, the sociocultural phenomenon chieftaincy has undergone tremendous transformations over the last centuries. The characteristics and attributes of the institution are not uniform as it differs with society. This is resulted from of the diversity in colonial and postcolonial histories in which chieftaincy has evolved as well as is caused by the fact that the regional differences within the continent are so great. Chiefs posses a remarkable elasticity enabling them to adapt to sociocultural change and to play a crucial role in future sociocultural, economic and political transformations at the regional, national and global levels. Chieftaincy in Ghana was created from a particular historicity. In the precolonial epoch, chiefs were heads of traditional polities who exercised varying degrees of religious, political, economic and military leadership. During the colonial period, chieftaincy was subjected to diverse forms of manipulation including collaboration, undermining and co-option. By the daybreak of independence in the late 1950s, both nationalists and scholars had supposed that chieftaincy would be degraded or oblivious by the forces of modernization and social change. Since independence, however, in the shifting and unstable postcolonial state chieftaincy has not only been deeply inscribed in the political landscape but has even been welcomed as a more authentic and practical representation of its social and political processes. The present chief in Ghana holds of two bases of power from which he can operate towards the state and his community, because he is part of a more and less traditional world. Moreover, many of the present chief, unlike traditional one, are modernizing and participating in new activities such as international development projects. Hence, chiefs can be described as mediators or brokers between different worlds. Their attributes are characterized by the following words: ambivalence, ambiguity, hybridity and dynamics. In short, chieftaincy as both an institution and a creation of colonial rulers should be understood in the context of historicity and dynamics. The nature of chieftaincy is determined by history, since each chieftaincy has its own historical trajectory and particularity. Clearly, dynamics which positively affects the reinforcement of chiefs' adaptability to different phenomena or worlds, is a vital attribute in understanding contemporary chieftaincy in the African continent as well as in Ghana.
Abstract
In Africa, the sociocultural phenomenon chieftaincy has undergone tremendous transformations over the last centuries. The characteristics and attributes of the institution are not uniform as it differs with society. This is resulted from of the diversity in colonial and postcolonial histories in which chieftaincy has evolved as well as is caused by the fact that the regional differences within the continent are so great. Chiefs posses a remarkable elasticity enabling them to adapt to sociocultural change and to play a crucial role in future sociocultural, economic and political transformations at the regional, national and global levels. Chieftaincy in Ghana was created from a particular historicity. In the precolonial epoch, chiefs were heads of traditional polities who exercised varying degrees of religious, political, economic and military leadership. During the colonial period, chieftaincy was subjected to diverse forms of manipulation including collaboration, undermining and co-option. By the daybreak of independence in the late 1950s, both nationalists and scholars had supposed that chieftaincy would be degraded or oblivious by the forces of modernization and social change. Since independence, however, in the shifting and unstable postcolonial state chieftaincy has not only been deeply inscribed in the political landscape but has even been welcomed as a more authentic and practical representation of its social and political processes. The present chief in Ghana holds of two bases of power from which he can operate towards the state and his community, because he is part of a more and less traditional world. Moreover, many of the present chief, unlike traditional one, are modernizing and participating in new activities such as international development projects. Hence, chiefs can be described as mediators or brokers between different worlds. Their attributes are characterized by the following words: ambivalence, ambiguity, hybridity and dynamics. In short, chieftaincy as both an institution and a creation of colonial rulers should be understood in the context of historicity and dynamics. The nature of chieftaincy is determined by history, since each chieftaincy has its own historical trajectory and particularity. Clearly, dynamics which positively affects the reinforcement of chiefs' adaptability to different phenomena or worlds, is a vital attribute in understanding contemporary chieftaincy in the African continent as well as in Ghana.
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