STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY AND POSSIBLE CONFLICT IN GHANA

Structural Inequality can be linked with Kingship system in Africa and some parts of the world. In Ghana, one will realize that a child of a Civil Servant in higher position, tend to benefit from his father’s influence, who places him in that same organization before retirement. A youth report conducted by the National Security in 2005, suggested that a chunk of the YOUTH in Ghana were unemployed, and that could mean a serious threat to national security. This means that the Youth, as energetic as we are, could be used by the ‘powerful’ to achieve his/her goals. The rise in “vigilantism”, now described as “militia” groups, can be sited to buttress this argument. Chereponi, Akwatia, Talensi, and the recent Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence could be sited to explain this. Their actions, if left unabated, will lead to conflicts and a probable civil war. Structural Inequality is commonly seen in Ghana, especially at Social gatherings (wedding ceremonies, Church harvests, at traditional and cultural gatherings, formal conferences, etc) where preference is given to the wealthy in society in terms of sitting arrangement. Corruption perception is another avenue for a possible conflict. Kimberly Amadeo,in her article-Structural Inequality in America, identified that there are powerful socializing agents that tell us what we can achieve within the society. Inequality is structural when policies keep some groups from obtaining the resources to better their lives. It prevents those who are discriminated against from realizing their dreams. They do not have a chance to pursue their idea of happiness (Social Exclusion). Structural inequality differs from the individual forms of inequality. That's where racism, sexism, and the likes are exhibited by individual behavior. Research on gender indicates that there are many structural gender biases in the workplace. For example, managers give women fewer challenging roles and less training compared with men. Female managers aren't given the high-level responsibilities needed for promotions. By taking a closer look at statistics of test scores and academic achievement, researchers noticed that wealthy whites do better than blacks, poor whites, and Latinos. Graduation rates amongst the “Whites” and Asians are about 25 percent higher than those of “Blacks”, Hispanics, and American Indians. This signifies that academic achievement is linked to socioeconomic status. Star Parker (reporter of the Durham Herald Sun) Thomas Shapiro’s The Hidden Cost of Being African American addresses many of the problems faced by African Americans in the United States and how their current social and economic situations compare to one another. These issues include the racial wealth gap between blacks and whites, assets, and education. Housing in the United States is valued differently based on the racial makeup of the neighborhood. There can be two identical houses in terms of amenities and size but the value of each house depends on the racial makeup of the people within the community. Tactics like blockbusting, a method where real estate agents survey white homeowners in an area can cause a shift in the composition of a neighborhood. Although the concept of blockbusting has been illegal since 1968 unintentional segregation continues to define neighborhoods today. The issues discussed above need to be looked at by authorities, in order to avert possible conflict in Ghana. Source: The Future Projects By: Nyarko Abronomaa Walker +233 243015920