A Piece of Ghana in Finland
Keywords:
ethnicity, identity, immigration, gender roles, multiculturalismAbstract
In Ghana, a person is surrounded and supported by family, which provides a safe environment for children to grow up in. Family is a priority for both men and women, although their roles in taking care of it may differ. Everyone makes an effort to succeed in life and meet the expectations of modern society. On the surface this does not sound very different from life in Finland, does it? According to the Ghanaian immigrants whom I interviewed for my Master's thesis, the situation in Finland turns out to be different in peculiar ways. In order to improve their prospects of life through education or intemational experience, or merely to satisfy their desire for adventure, the Ghanaians have to leave behind the comforts of an extended family, familiar food, their mother tongue, and adjust to a new way of life.
