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"The cake is in Accra": a case study on internal migration in Ghana
[journal article]
Abstract What are the motivations for internal migration, and how do social relations influence the migration process? In answering these questions, this paper focuses on internal migration to Accra, the capital of Ghana. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 migrants in different areas of the city a... view more
What are the motivations for internal migration, and how do social relations influence the migration process? In answering these questions, this paper focuses on internal migration to Accra, the capital of Ghana. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 migrants in different areas of the city and analysed using narrative analysis. We found that livelihood and lifestyle dimensions work in tandem as motivations for migration. While the main reasons for moving to Accra, according to the interviewees, are related to livelihood, they are reflected and performed in culturally bound lifestyles. Furthermore, while social relations are rarely the main motivator to migrate, the social networks of migrants constitute an important enabling (or disabling) factor in shaping both livelihood and lifestyle dimensions of the migration process. Finally, we found that different ties - including emotional and economic - have different meanings across the migrants' social network throughout the migration process.... view less
Keywords
Ghana; regional mobility; internal migration; youth; young adult; capital city; living conditions; labor; employment; social relations; way of life; life style; West Africa; English-speaking Africa
Classification
Migration, Sociology of Migration
Free Keywords
Accra; Land-Stadt-Wanderung; Zusammenhang
Document language
English
Publication Year
2023
Page/Pages
p. 645-666
Journal
Canadian Journal of African Studies, 57 (2023) 3
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/00083968.2023.2230325
ISSN
1923-3051
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed
Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0