The Changing Conceptions of Work and the Language of Work in Ghana: Towards a Research Agenda

Changes in labour relations in Ghana are reflected through language. The chapter explores the history of work in Ghana and shows how popular culture reflects the value Ghanaians place on work for its life-sustaining function and the sense of self it gives individuals. The authors draw on their three decades of research to explain various words used to describe a variety of labour relations in the agricultural and mining sectors. They signal insights gleaned from a close analysis of word choices for various labour relations, including gender dimensions, and the origins of these relations. The chapter calls for collaboration between social scientists and linguists to deepen our understanding of how the changes in the language of work signal changes in labour relations.