Shrines and Social Order in Ghana: A Study of Ŋuveh Shrine in Peki, Volta Region, Ghana.

Abstract

Human communities have measures and schemes which are intended to control the social behaviour of its members. In traditional societies, the belief in the potency of supernatural beings helps to enforce social norms and values, which translate into social order within a given community. In most traditional societies including Ghana, religion plays an important role in the lives of the people, some of which include ensuring order in the society. In Ghana, the indigenous religious values, norms, customs, as well as certain practices help in the enforcement of order in various communities. The deities as well as the ancestors play key roles in ensuring order in the community by, dispensing swift justice and punishing culprits. Using a qualitative approach specifically purposive sampling, the study reveals that there are indigenous mechanisms used by Ŋuveh to ensure social order in the community, which are grouped into oath swearing, hexing, trial by ordeals, and taboos that are enshrined in their prohibitions and sanctions. The study concludes that the traditional religious means of social control is effective in ensuring social order. Thus, the study proposes that traditional authorities need to be empowered to function side-by-side with the formal control system to maintain order in their communities and Ghana at large. This paper contributes to religion and social control.

Keywords

• social control
• ŋuveh shrine
• ancestors
• deities
• sanctions
• indigenous.