ABSTRACT
Ghanaian cultures have experienced changes due to Islamic and European trading contacts, European colonial presence and various internal interactions among its many indigenous societies. These experiences introduced a variety of institutional and ideological constructs to Ghanaian societies. The Western style formal educational institution (formal education) was one European construct that has continued into the current period to impact cultural change. Research conducted in southeastern Ghana at Medina and Legon was used to analyze interactions between the formal education institution and participants’ ethno-linguistic societies.1 Gender role formation was identified as one cultural aspect that demonstrated change as a result of formal education’s interaction with indigenous cultures. Specific questions focused on elements of resistance, adaptation and transformation based on this interaction. A fluctuating model of gender role changes resulted from the findings that indicated a push-pull relationship between Western and indigenous concepts.
