Men and Masculinities in Selected Ghanaian Video Films

This book examines how Ghanaian video films write men and masculinities by addressing how the films portray what it means to be a man in contemporary Ghana. Exploring the cultural ideas and expectations regarding masculinity as constructed by Ghanaian filmmakers, this project identifies the different institutions that encourage particular philosophies of masculinity and the kinds of environments that such institutions create for the performance of gender relations and identities. Drawing upon theories of men and masculinities from both Africa and the West, individual chapters demonstrate that Ghanaian men are not a unified or a homogeneous group. There is no singular concept of masculinity, only different versions of masculinity that continues to shift perspectives. Men and masculinities in the films are constructed, shaped,and maintained from diverse perspectives; these include traditional cultural practices, community standards, and foreign concepts imposed upon the country due to missionary activities and colonialism. The video films thereby mediate life experiences of common people and show how urbanization plays a vital role in post-colonial Ghana.