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Relationship Between Traditionalism of Dress and Social Values of Ghanaian Women
Author(s) -
Matthews Lillian B.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
home economics research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 0046-7774
DOI - 10.1177/1077727x7900700607
Subject(s) - traditionalism , psychology , significant difference , gender studies , sociology , medicine , art , humanities
The purpose of this study was to determine to what degree adherence to traditional dress and adoption of western dress by Ghanaian university students differs from that of their mothers. If there is a difference, is this difference reflected in changing marriage and family values between the two generations? Dress of Ghanaian women was classified as traditional, modified traditional, combined tradi tional with western, and western dress. Data were gathered by questionnaire and camera, Fall 1975, from 177 female students at the University of Ghana and at Winneba Specialist Training College. Students' dress for class and social occasions was most frequently a simply styled western dress and, for funeral and memorial services, the modified traditional dress. Their mothers more fre quently wore traditional dress for all occasions. The differences in use of traditional and western dress between mothers and daughters was highly significant. The students were significantly more accepting of western marriage and family values than their mothers. The traditional values held by mothers had a positive association with their wearing of traditional Ghanaian dress. The daughters' more western attitudes were associated only with their use of modified traditional dress.