Journal of Dagaare Studies (JDS)
Volume 2 - 2002
Table of Contents
(click on title for abstract)
Customary
Law of the Dagara of Northern Ghana:
The Ghanaian discourse on customary law assumes that there are uncontested rules of custom that are applicable to all its communities. And that these rules can be ascertained by applying the relevant rules stipulated by law. The view is that these rules are based on either immemorable customs or current social practices of Ghanaian communities. A number of rules are beginning to crystallise in the courts of law as general principles of customary law applicable to all communities. However, the basis of legitimacy of these rules has come under attack by litigating parties. This paper challenges not only the legal rules for ascertaining customary law but also questions the jurisprudential grounding for such an ascertainment. The paper explores the social interests groups who are considered competent in authoring the customary law and the ambiguous notion of community from which such rules issue. The customary land law of the Dagara ethnic group of Northern Ghana is used to illustrate the emergence and development over the years of the social construction of customary law rules. These rules have been problematized with findings from a case study conducted in the Upper West Region. This study concludes that the articulation of customary law by the courts fail to address important features of customary rules of land relations amongst this ethnic group and as such are incapable as a basis for resolving disputes over land rights. **********************
A Guide to Dagaahre Orthography Constancio K. Nakuma
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The
Dagaare-Speaking Communities of West Africa:
This paper is a portrayal of some cultural aspects of the dagaare-speaking people of the north western corner of Ghana and adjacent areas of Burkina Faso and Cote d 'Ivoire. Some of the topics covered include marriage, the role of rituals, death and funeral ceremonies and the political system. The paper also highlights some of the differences and commonalities amongst the dagaare-speaking communities as well as the differences and commonalities between them and their neighbors.**********************
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Classifying the
Nominal in the Gurene Dialect of Farefare of the Northern Ghana
The focus of this paper is the classification of the nominal in Farefare, a Gur language spoken in the northern parts of Ghana. It is closely related to Moore in Burkina Faso, and Kusaal, Mampruli, Dagaare and Dagbani all in Ghana. Farefare has a noun class and concord system like other Gur languages. However, unlike many of them it has a more conservative system. It is losing the system at a much slower rate. We have therefore sought to illustrate the extent to which the system functions in the language by making a comprehensive classification of the noun and its concording elements. The noun has been classified according to its genetic affiliation, morphology, semantics and gender. Nouns in the language may be analysed into stem and class suffix. Each class suffix is associated with a given noun class and a concord element. All noun classes are thus identified by the form of the suffix as well as the concord element associated with it. A classification by the meaning and gender of nouns leads to the same class demarcations even though these are much more complex. **********************
Images of
Blacks and Africa in Spanish Literature: Reflections on Recent Trends
In spite of the close proximity of Spain and the African continent, and the complex historical interactions between peoples of both environments, Hispano-African relations have received very little attention in contemporary Spanish literary scholarship. Through an historical review and thorough examination of selected texts by contemporary Spanish novelists, this study purposes to investigate the evolution of black characters and characterization and the perception of Africa and blacks in general in Spanish letters.
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