Social Culture

The social culture includes institutions devoted to the development of the human infrastructure and the welfare of the people.

Outdooring or Naming Ceremony

Communal enculturation of the sub-Saharan starts from infancy and comes to climax with ceremonies and rites ushering the youth into adulthood. Among the Anlo-Ewe people of southeastern Ghana, the enculturation process begins at the dawn of the seventh day of birth with rites and ceremonies known as "ame-hehe-de-go". "Ame-hehe-de-go" literary means outdooring a person. The major activities of "ame-hehe-de-go" include, the formal naming of a baby, introducing the baby to community and community accepting a collective guardianship.

Puberty Rites

Entering puberty is another critical period of the ongoing communal assimilation into the cultural tradition of society. The young child has developed the capability of reproducing sexually and must know the social responsibilities of that biological maturity.

Puberty rites ceremony is the communal forum in which the young adult acquires the knowledge of the social responsibilities of this critical biological transition. Very respected members of the community are the officiating elders. Their wisdom, life experience, self-esteem and self confidence provide good role models for the young adults.

Occupational Group Activities

The traditions of occupational groups are other vital elements of the social culture. These groups are devoted to the development of the skill and resources to sustain the occupational activities of the sub-Saharan people. Major occupational activities include, hunting, farming, fishing, and manufacturing of a traditional cloth called kente.

Generational Group Activities

Generational group activities, such as clubs organized by the youth as social platforms for expressing their perspectives on virtually every aspect of the collective agenda, are the final dimensions of the social culture. These clubs are the fermenting ground of new ideas and dance-drumming innovations as the youth prepare to take over from their parents one day.