The Making of a Sexual Being in Ghana: The State,Religion and the Influence of Society as Agents of Sexual Socialization

With the aim of generating in-depth information on society’s expectations and views on sexual expression in Ghana, we present findings on what was expected of the state, religion, and the influence of society on sexual socialization in Ghana. As a society, our need to break the culture of silence about sex cannot be overemphasized. Our study is important against a background that in Sub-Saharan African, HIV and AIDS is mostly spread through sexual intercourse, and that the region bears a disproportionate large percentage of the world’s HIV and AIDS burden. Although Ghana has a 2009 adult (15+ years) prevalence rate of 1.6% and a prevalence rate of 1.9% for persons 15–49 years old, some regions and sentinel sites show rather high rates, making HIV and AIDS issues of high concern nationally. Respondents from the general public, key informants and special groups across all three ecological zones of Ghana were purposively selected. All the interviewees agreed that in Ghana fidelity in all sexual relationships is highly valued and expected. However, there is gender discrimination in the application of such social norms of fidelity, in favor of males. Amongst the three agents of socialization studied, religion seemed to exert the most influence. Modernity interwoven with Christianity seem to have taken a great toll on such norms of sexual socialization.     

文化多样性的反思

根据通行的定义,人是理性的两足动物。这所意示的并不是所有人在任何时候实际上都是理性的。那会是错误的,因为许多人在有些时候确实是非理性的。这一定义表示的只是人有能力成为理性的。然而,这一最小限度的界定具有重大的意义。譬如,它意表着我们(人类)能够从我们对于环境的经验中学会某种东西,并能够调整或者试着去调整我们的行为以适应这种经验带来的限制。这里有两中基本类型的环境,即自然的和社会的环境。自然环境的制约源自我们与物理客体和力量的接触。具体而微,不同人群对环境的反应各异,但从本质上看,人的反应方式只有一种。那就…