Motivations for participating in community development in rural and urban Ghana

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the motivations for participating in community development in rural and urban districts in Ghana. Participation resulted from three motivations: shared responsibility, good of the community and requirement of a good citizen. The paper found no statistically significant difference between motivations and gender, age and education. However, there was a statistically significant difference between motivations and location. The paper argues that participation in rural and urban areas may not result from similar motives. This suggests a rethink of the influence of locational factors on motives for participating in community development..

KEYWORDS:

• motivations
• participation
• local governance
• decentralization
• community development

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mr Bright Andoh and Mr Emmanuel Forson Ansah for assisting with data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Unit committee chairpersons are elected by the unit committee members to lead the group.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard Serbeh

Richard Serbeh is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. His research focuses on development economics, participatory development and migration and development.

Prince Osei-Wusu Adjei

Prince Osei-Wusu Adjei is an Associate Professor at the Department of Geography and Ruraal Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He has publihsed extensively on decentralisation and poverty reduction, and health and development.

David Forkuor

David Forkuor is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He has publsihed on urban geography and participatory development.