Papers by Jeffery Boadu
ICON, 2021
Energy is one of the crucial anchors that drive the social, economic, and political sectors of na... more Energy is one of the crucial anchors that drive the social, economic, and political sectors of nations. In Africa, there is the abundance of energy resources such as crude oil, biomass, coal, natural gas, solar energy and hydropower, that contributes thirty-two percent to Africa's energy mix. Despite the abundance of energy resources Africa is plagued by energy policy issues and and an electricity supply crisis. Nearly half of the thirty million population of Ghana in West African rely on electricity supplied from the mighty Akosombo hydropower plant, as well in its current status Ghana's electricity network is not able to meet growing demand of the population and industry. Yet, the history of the technology community has a vague understanding about the trajectories of energy generation and supply in Ghana and in Africa in general.
The globe today is faced with a dangerous but unseen enemy. The presence of the Corona virus as a... more The globe today is faced with a dangerous but unseen enemy. The presence of the Corona virus as a pandemic in the world has affected the economy and lives of people in many countries including Ghana. The World Health Organization has warned that corona virus “may never go away” as its experts predicted that a global mental health crisis caused by the pandemic was looming. In view of that, the emergence of the novel virus has called on many governments to make certain policies to contain the spread of the virus and to hold its economy stable.
Particularly in Ghana, with the upsurge in COVID 19 cases nationwide, different policies have been implemented by Government. Nonetheless, some of these policies have been questioned by Health Experts and Economists raising concerns about safety of citizens and crippling of businesses. However, in as much these policies have contributed to alleviating the spread of the deadly virus, certain key areas of analysis have been ignored on discussions so far. For instance, are the policies adopted effective, and what are the repercussions on economic development?
Using the policy stream metaphor, punctuated equilibrium, input and output model and lesson drawing theoretical frameworks, the article focuses on analysis of Ghana’s approach towards curbing the spread of the corona virus pandemic and its effects on the economy. The article provides an alternative system to assess government’s approach to global pandemics in developing and developed countries with Ghana as a case study.
When the Second World War broke out, most European colonial powers had decided to contribute to t... more When the Second World War broke out, most European colonial powers had decided to contribute to the war. British West Africa in general remained loyal and generously contributed large sums of money from Gambia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Ghana. The war left the colonial powers weakened physically, economically and psychologically and with little will to resist any severe demands. However, at the end of the war, it seemed as if colonialism was firmly entrenched in the African continent and destined to remain there for at least another fifty years.
Electricity crisis in Ghana is not a recent phenomenon. Problems in Ghana’s energy sector dates t... more Electricity crisis in Ghana is not a recent phenomenon. Problems in Ghana’s energy sector dates to Colonial regime when Ghana’s first major energy source, Akosombo Hydro Dam was constructed in 1966. A country with a population of about twenty seven million with majority of the population without reliable electricity supply calls for a critical attention. The framework of past energy structures and the web of decisions taken at certain developmental stages such as Colonial era, Cold War era, Post-colonial era have positive and negative implications on approach to energy policy and problems of energy sector in contemporary Ghana. Against this backdrop, it is important to understand the trends in energy developments, actions, inactions, and key necessitating factors that have transitioned problems in Ghana’s energy sector from one developmental stage to another and challenged Ghana’s quest to become the industrial hub of Africa after gaining independence from British Administration on 6th March 1957. By tracing this path, the research argues that Ghana’s electricity sector is not efficient due to institutional constraints. The short-term planning of colonial hydro projects and the heuristic approach to problems in the energy sector was adopted in Colonial regime and continue to persist but with worrying implications for electricity development in contemporary Ghana.
The article provides tools for understanding micro and macro view of the arctic in a global persp... more The article provides tools for understanding micro and macro view of the arctic in a global perspective. The article focuses on four key themes such as; narrative as hegemonic instrument of arctic governance, discourse on Artic climate change as a tool for accomplishing military and economic interests, the role of actors in construction of arctic futures and identity, and the approaches of nation states to exploitation of energy resources in the artic region. Authors approached these themes in two ways. First by introducing the concept of Voices, Resources and Governance and second by deconstructing the history of arctic futures to elaborate the importance of the past in interpretation of contemporary developments in the artic region and exclusion of other "Voices" in matters of Artic development. The main argument of authors is that, in the last decade the dominance of possibilities and uncertainties of climate change, wealth creation and resource exploitation has engineered new actors and struggle for influence in the artic region in recent times. Using coal in Spitsbergen, hydrocarbons in the Barents Sea and Whaling in the North Atlantic as case studies authors engaged in deconstructing the history of the arctic futures to explain the evolution of power relations and the importance of agency and structures in the integration of "Voices", "Resources" and "Governance" in contemporary developments within the Arctic region.
The interaction between humans and other species and with the natural environment, and their appr... more The interaction between humans and other species and with the natural environment, and their appropriation of the natural resources without which life is impossible, must be a central element in history (Beinart, 2000). This is because human beings are, before anything else, biological entities. When dams are built, they create man-made lakes or reservoirs. These dams and resulting lakes are important to society as they provide areas with water for drinking, farming irrigation, hydroelectric power generation and flood management. This is the basic premise for the construction of great dams across the globe, and the construction of the Akosombo dam was not an exception.
The Harlem Renaissance (1917-1935) was the name given to the cultural, social, and artistic explo... more The Harlem Renaissance (1917-1935) was the name given to the cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem between the end of World War I and the middle of the 1930s. African Americans migrated towards the industrialized North to escape racial prejudices, economic hardships and also to attain higher social and economic status. This mass migration resulted in the transformation of certain streets of Harlem in New York. This gave rise to cultural changes led to the “New Negro Movement” which gained much popularity and became what is termed as Harlem Renaissance. It is essential to highlight that, the Harlem Renaissance was founded on the ideals of racial pride, importance of African culture and the social power. African Americans exhibited their racial heritage through arts. These circumstances created a whole new phase of how modern African American culture for centuries to come was to be recognized by unborn generations.
Travelling to Saint Petersburg, I prepared for the Cold winter, different social and cultural nor... more Travelling to Saint Petersburg, I prepared for the Cold winter, different social and cultural norms, and different academic structure.
However, the last thing which was so much not about knowing as it was about dealing with, “The questions”.
“Where do you come from?” “Do you like Russian weather?” “Why did you choose to study in Russia and not Africa?” “Can you Dance?” “Do you like Russia?”
When I first started I answered these questions all the time. Some questions surprised me while others got me thinking. I answered them after signing to calm myself and tried as much as possible to use my inside voice, because they were genuinely concerned, they wanted to know or were just curious, sometimes I could not tell.
And when I lie on my bed in the evenings, I reflect on these questions, wondering, investigating their merits, and questioning my reason and purpose for this big move.
“Why did I choose to study in Russia and not USA or France?” Where there existed a more diverse cultural environment. But then I realized this was their way of telling me even before I experienced it, the feeling of natives towards their own culture and other cultures of foreigners.
It maybe assumed that everyone was conducting a survey on foreigners and sometimes these experiences shaped your thoughts and interactions with the new environment. Many people may be wondering why I am writing this piece especially having spent just two years in the city. I witnessed beautiful and challenging experiences and I prefer to share my story to inform and inspire students all over the world on how to adapt to different cultural environments and to understand certain basic realities of travelling to study abroad.
A careful analysis of African Diaspora literature has revealed the extensive use of rhetoric lang... more A careful analysis of African Diaspora literature has revealed the extensive use of rhetoric language “Slavery and Slave Trade” to interpret the social and cultural history of Ghana. This cultural rhetoric was adopted by colonial, Post-colonial and imperialist regimes during and after the second world war. However, this single mega-narrative has been criticized by this research in the analysis of the cultural history of Ghana. European writers in their analysis of Slavery and Slave Trade in Africa have neglected the problems associated with it and this includes obstruction of natural and human freedom and creation of a path of “Cultural Isolationism” between Ghanaians and Afro-Americans and this is highly evident in Holsey Bayo’s article. This is a challenge for contemporary writers because many Afrocentric writers use Eurocentric model in the analysis of tourism and cultural developments in Ghana, which is a single mega- narrative and as a form of Afro-American propaganda to boost the tourism industry in Ghana. This pattern of analysis is a problem in understanding the cultural history of Ghanaians and Afro-American history in contemporary times. The review reveals the problem of collectivising single meta-narratives in writing the history of African Diaspora and its implications on national identity.
Slavery in Africa has not only existed throughout the Continent for many centuries, but still con... more Slavery in Africa has not only existed throughout the Continent for many centuries, but still continues in the current day in some countries. Slavery in Africa was practiced in many different forms and some of these do not clearly fit the definitions of slavery elsewhere in the world, some of these include debt slavery, enslavement of war captives, military slavery and criminal slavery were all practiced in various parts of Africa. In sub-Sahara Africa, the slave relationships were often complex with rights and freedoms given to individuals held in slavery and restrictions on sale and treatment by their masters. Many communities had hierarchies between different types of slaves: for example, differentiating between those who had been born into slavery. Slavery in African cultures was generally more like indentured servitude (like pawning, as was practiced among the Asante in Ghana) , although in certain parts of sub-Saharan Africa, slaves were used for human sacrifices in annual rituals, such as those rituals practiced by the denizens of Dahomey. Slaves were often not the chattel of other men, nor enslaved for life.
Panopticism and Part IV 3. The carceral pp.298-308. In 'Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the P... more Panopticism and Part IV 3. The carceral pp.298-308. In 'Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison', Foucault draws insight into the notable changes in the western penal system that influenced contemporary penal systems, particularly in France. Despite publishing the work in 1975, Foucault's work is still influential in the area of academic, political and criminal studies. Moreover, scholars have argued that among Foucault's numerous works, it is this work that greatly influenced Foucault's thoughts on power, discourse, and agency. Foucault addresses the history of penal system in four categories, namely; Torture, Punishment, Discipline and Prison coupled with the intricacies of power, body and the soul. Very intriguing is how Foucault analyses changing patterns of punishment, public execution and torture as against the prison system, which sets him apart from his contemporaries. However, Foucault places more emphasis on the social setting of ceremonies of punishment in a way that takes away the prevailing legal dimensions of specific crimes in France. Thus, apart from crimes against the ruling class in France, did other crimes in France equally attract mass hysterias? Or were crimes particularly selected by the ruling class to make a 'statement' in society? With regards to punishment of crimes, Foucault places emphasis on the spectacle of the king and the public spectacle of the punishment. Foucault opens this concept of punishment with a stunning explication of the "Theatre of Terror" of a public execution. Foucault argues that, punishment to the spectators, was an occasion of amusement and a fully satisfying one-in the most visible form, where the spirit of retribution was appeased and right triumphed over wrong. To the ruling class, it was an occasion to retrieve a confession that justified the court's investigation and a mechanism for the state to reflect the violence of the crime and deter other citizens from committing similar acts. Foucault draws insight into the dimensions of power, the mechanisms in which power was exercised and the hierarchical structures involved. Foucault distances himself from theoretical arguments on the concept of power. Unlike many scholars who analyses the concept of power from a macro-physical perspective, Foucault analyses power from a micro-physical level. Foucault analyses different elements of power such as modest power, suspicious power, and power which functions as calculated, but a permanent economy. The approach to punishment in France within that period was a top-bottom approach. The articl reveals that politics of crimes in the French Society influenced the rest of Europe
Book Reviews by Jeffery Boadu
In 'Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison', Foucault draws insight into the notable cha... more In 'Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison', Foucault draws insight into the notable changes in the western penal system that influenced contemporary penal systems, particularly in France. Despite publishing the work in 1975, Foucault's work is still influential in the area of academic, political and criminal studies. Moreover, scholars have argued that among Foucault's numerous works, it is this work that greatly influenced Foucault's thoughts on power, discourse, and agency. Foucault addresses the history of penal system in four categories, namely; Torture, Punishment, Discipline and Prison coupled with the intricacies of power, body and the soul. Very intriguing is how Foucault analyses changing patterns of punishment, public execution and torture as against the prison system, which sets him apart from his contemporaries. However, Foucault places more emphasis on the social setting of ceremonies of punishment in a way that takes away the prevailing legal dimensions of specific crimes in France. Thus, apart from crimes against the ruling class in France, did other crimes in France equally attract mass hysterias? Or were crimes particularly selected by the ruling class to make a 'statement' in society? With regards to punishment of crimes, Foucault places emphasis on the spectacle of the king and the public spectacle of the punishment. Foucault opens this concept of punishment with a stunning explication of the "Theatre of Terror" of a public execution. Foucault argues that, punishment to the spectators, was an occasion of amusement and a fully satisfying one-in the most visible form, where the spirit of retribution was appeased and right triumphed over wrong. To the ruling class, it was an occasion to retrieve a confession that justified the court's investigation and a mechanism for the state to reflect the violence of the crime and deter other citizens from committing similar acts. Foucault draws insight into the dimensions of power, the mechanisms in which power was exercised and the hierarchical structures involved. Foucault distances himself from theoretical arguments on the concept of power. Unlike many scholars who analyses the concept of power from a macro-physical perspective, Foucault analyses power from a micro-physical level. Foucault analyses different elements of power such as modest power, suspicious power, and power which functions as calculated, but a permanent economy. One key insight which this review aims to contribute to is the history of politics of crimes in contemporary Society.
Drafts by Jeffery Boadu
The historical analysis of European modernisation in Africa has revealed the extensive use of rhe... more The historical analysis of European modernisation in Africa has revealed the extensive use of rhetoric language "development and progress". In the eighteenth century, European writers linked enlightenment with industrialization. A modern society was perceived as an industrialized society and out of this the popular rhetoric of development emerged and has since been used as a yardstick to interpret societies. This modernisation rhetoric was adopted by colonial, Post-colonial and imperialist regimes during and after the cold war. However, this single mega-narrative has been criticized by this research in the assessment of energy future of Ghana. European writers in their analysis of modernisation in Africa have neglected the problems associated with hydropower technological transfer and this includes obstruction of natural and human freedom and creation of a path of hydro energy dependency among African States. This is a challenge for contemporary writers because many Afrocentric writers use Eurocentric model in the analysis of energy developments in Ghana, which is a positivist approach and disregards major features of Colonial energy transfer and implications on the economy of colonies. This pattern of analysis is a problem in tracing the path of hydro-power dependency in Ghana in contemporary times. The article operationalizes approaches developed within Post-Colonial studies, defects of modernisation theory in contemporary western literature, and its misappropriation by Colonial authorities to exploit the energy resources of third world countries. The article provides tools for understanding micro and macro view of the energy and policy development in Ghana from a global perspective. Particularly, the article creates indulgence into Colonial electrification scheme and the factors that influenced the path of hydropower development in third world countries with its own complexities. To achieve this objective, archival data was collected from Public Records And Archive Administration Department, Ghana (PRAAD) and data statistics were plotted in conjunction with "Hydromodernisation" theoretical Framework. Conceptions and Misconceptions of Modernisation Theory Modernization theory emerged after world war II in an attempt to find the best social and economic model for countries especially emerging States in Africa and Asia that were either under colonial rule or became independent from colonial rule. Having said this, different scholars belonging to East and West coalitions adopted and interpreted this approach to suit different economic and
The historical analysis of European modernisation in Africa has revealed the extensive use of rhe... more The historical analysis of European modernisation in Africa has revealed the extensive use of rhetoric language "development and progress". In the eighteenth century, European writers linked enlightenment with industrialization. A modern society was perceived as an industrialized society and out of this the popular rhetoric of development emerged and has since been used as a yardstick to interpret societies. This modernisation rhetoric was adopted by colonial, Post-colonial and imperialist regimes during and after the cold war. However, this single mega-narrative has been criticized by this research in the assessment of energy future of Ghana. European writers in their analysis of modernisation in Africa have neglected the problems associated with hydropower technological transfer and this includes obstruction of natural and human freedom and creation of a path of hydro energy dependency among African States. This is a challenge for contemporary writers because many Afrocentric writers use Eurocentric model in the analysis of energy developments in Ghana, which is a positivist approach and disregards major features of Colonial energy transfer and implications on the economy of colonies. This pattern of analysis is a problem in tracing the path of hydro-power dependency in Ghana in contemporary times. The article operationalizes approaches developed within Post-Colonial studies, defects of modernisation theory in contemporary western literature, and its misappropriation by Colonial authorities to exploit the energy resources of third world countries. The article provides tools for understanding micro and macro view of the energy and policy development in Ghana from a global perspective. Particularly, the article creates indulgence into Colonial electrification scheme and the factors that influenced the path of hydropower development in third world countries with its own complexities. To achieve this objective, archival data was collected from Public Records And Archive Administration Department, Ghana (PRAAD) and data statistics were plotted in conjunction with "Hydromodernisation" theoretical Framework. Conceptions and Misconceptions of Modernisation Theory Modernization theory emerged after world war II in an attempt to find the best social and economic model for countries especially emerging States in Africa and Asia that were either under colonial rule or became independent from colonial rule. Having said this, different scholars belonging to East and West coalitions adopted and interpreted this approach to suit different economic and
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Papers by Jeffery Boadu
Particularly in Ghana, with the upsurge in COVID 19 cases nationwide, different policies have been implemented by Government. Nonetheless, some of these policies have been questioned by Health Experts and Economists raising concerns about safety of citizens and crippling of businesses. However, in as much these policies have contributed to alleviating the spread of the deadly virus, certain key areas of analysis have been ignored on discussions so far. For instance, are the policies adopted effective, and what are the repercussions on economic development?
Using the policy stream metaphor, punctuated equilibrium, input and output model and lesson drawing theoretical frameworks, the article focuses on analysis of Ghana’s approach towards curbing the spread of the corona virus pandemic and its effects on the economy. The article provides an alternative system to assess government’s approach to global pandemics in developing and developed countries with Ghana as a case study.
However, the last thing which was so much not about knowing as it was about dealing with, “The questions”.
“Where do you come from?” “Do you like Russian weather?” “Why did you choose to study in Russia and not Africa?” “Can you Dance?” “Do you like Russia?”
When I first started I answered these questions all the time. Some questions surprised me while others got me thinking. I answered them after signing to calm myself and tried as much as possible to use my inside voice, because they were genuinely concerned, they wanted to know or were just curious, sometimes I could not tell.
And when I lie on my bed in the evenings, I reflect on these questions, wondering, investigating their merits, and questioning my reason and purpose for this big move.
“Why did I choose to study in Russia and not USA or France?” Where there existed a more diverse cultural environment. But then I realized this was their way of telling me even before I experienced it, the feeling of natives towards their own culture and other cultures of foreigners.
It maybe assumed that everyone was conducting a survey on foreigners and sometimes these experiences shaped your thoughts and interactions with the new environment. Many people may be wondering why I am writing this piece especially having spent just two years in the city. I witnessed beautiful and challenging experiences and I prefer to share my story to inform and inspire students all over the world on how to adapt to different cultural environments and to understand certain basic realities of travelling to study abroad.
Book Reviews by Jeffery Boadu
Drafts by Jeffery Boadu
Particularly in Ghana, with the upsurge in COVID 19 cases nationwide, different policies have been implemented by Government. Nonetheless, some of these policies have been questioned by Health Experts and Economists raising concerns about safety of citizens and crippling of businesses. However, in as much these policies have contributed to alleviating the spread of the deadly virus, certain key areas of analysis have been ignored on discussions so far. For instance, are the policies adopted effective, and what are the repercussions on economic development?
Using the policy stream metaphor, punctuated equilibrium, input and output model and lesson drawing theoretical frameworks, the article focuses on analysis of Ghana’s approach towards curbing the spread of the corona virus pandemic and its effects on the economy. The article provides an alternative system to assess government’s approach to global pandemics in developing and developed countries with Ghana as a case study.
However, the last thing which was so much not about knowing as it was about dealing with, “The questions”.
“Where do you come from?” “Do you like Russian weather?” “Why did you choose to study in Russia and not Africa?” “Can you Dance?” “Do you like Russia?”
When I first started I answered these questions all the time. Some questions surprised me while others got me thinking. I answered them after signing to calm myself and tried as much as possible to use my inside voice, because they were genuinely concerned, they wanted to know or were just curious, sometimes I could not tell.
And when I lie on my bed in the evenings, I reflect on these questions, wondering, investigating their merits, and questioning my reason and purpose for this big move.
“Why did I choose to study in Russia and not USA or France?” Where there existed a more diverse cultural environment. But then I realized this was their way of telling me even before I experienced it, the feeling of natives towards their own culture and other cultures of foreigners.
It maybe assumed that everyone was conducting a survey on foreigners and sometimes these experiences shaped your thoughts and interactions with the new environment. Many people may be wondering why I am writing this piece especially having spent just two years in the city. I witnessed beautiful and challenging experiences and I prefer to share my story to inform and inspire students all over the world on how to adapt to different cultural environments and to understand certain basic realities of travelling to study abroad.