General
Objectives
The student will:
Adopt the spirit of hard work in an independent Ghana.
Live a life of peace and harmony with fellow Ghanaians and with people of other cultures
NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE AND SELF-RELIANCE
Introduction
After fighting and winning political independence in 1957, our political leaders failed to instill in us the implications of independence. As a result, Ghana still depends on our colonial masters for financial support, long after gaining independence.
Thus, instead of realizing independence as an opportunity to work hard and develop the country, we expected the country to just develop, while we adopted a laissez-fair attitude to work.
When the economy deteriorated rapidly, we continued to blame the former colonial masters. What we should have done as a nation was to identify the relationship between independence and the need for increased production.
Independence and self-reliance
Political independence means:
gaining self-rule from a colonial master
the new nation is entitled to govern itself
governments are sovereign (have the right to exercise freely, the full range of powers under international law)
the country is legally able to make its domestic and foreign policies
self-reliance
ability to depend mainly on the country’s resources for survival
self-reliant (a country that can do things and take decisions by itself)
the nation would not need help from other countries to run its affairs
Relationship between Political independence and Self-reliance
A politically independent nation is self-reliant. Such a nation should be able to:
determine its goals by itself
determine its path for national development
be self-informed of developmental directions
use its political instruments
accept no external intervention
How Ghanaians misconstrued the implications of independence
Some people thought independence was:
an end in itself
an answer to their economic woes
adopting a laissez-fair attitude to work
leaders were power conscious
leaders saw it as the time to amass wealth
Responsibilities and challenges after independence
Political independence does not imply easy life.
It is a call for good planning.
It is dedication and hard work.
It requires individual and collective development to be skillful.
The nation needs to have foresight into our problems and be able to solve them.
Responsibilities
The survival of our nation depends on ourselves.
Thus it is incumbent on the leader to plan for the nation’s survival and development and
for the followers to contribute to achieving these
Self-assessment
Discuss some of the responsibilities that Ghana faces as an independent nation.
Discuss how Ghanaians should use their time and resources to help in the development of the country.
Discuss the challenges Ghanaian leaders and followers face after independence.
What responsibilities should an individual have when they gain
personal independence
or national independence?
The socio-political challenges noted above can be met through the following:
developing our human and natural resources
having an effective system of management
by developing a positive attitude toward work
being willing to work hard for the best
good education, training, and healthy living
developing good interpersonal relationships
economic and financial improvement
How individual Ghanaians can apply the concept of independence and self-reliance in their lives
Some recommendations for independence and self-reliance are as follows:
Vote wisely to elect good quality persons for the National and District Assemblies.
Work hard and engage in productive work to improve the economy and standard of living.
Get a good education and professional skills to improve productivity.
Download the entire SHS FREE Social Studies notes now. We'd also appreciate a kind DONATION to +233 (0) 545 409 639 from you. Thank you.
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION
Introduction
Ghana has abundant natural resources which have not been efficiently tapped for the country’s improvement.
This situation is often blamed on inadequate capital and technical know-how, but it is actually due to an imbalance in the development of our human resources and the needs of society.
The development of the nation will be enhanced if more attention is given to relevant practical skill acquisition rather than mere knowledge acquisition.
Meaning of resource and development
Resources refer to any form of material available to societies that are used in the production of goods and services. Development is the qualitative and quantitative improvement in the standard of living of people in society.
Types of resources
There are three types of resources:
Natural Resources
Capital Resource
Human Resource
How human resources can be developed
Development of human resources can be by:
Formal education
Apprenticeship
On-the-job training etc
How resources contribute to national development
Educated and trained persons have more practicable skills and knowledge and are more able to transform resources into refined goods and services
Download the entire SHS FREE Social Studies notes now. We'd also appreciate a kind DONATION to +233 (0) 545 409 639 from you. Thank you.
GOVERNANCE, POLITICS, AND STABILITY
General Objectives
The student will:
Adopt the spirit of hard work in an independent Ghana.
Live a life of peace and harmony with fellow Ghanaians and with people of other cultures
NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE AND SELF-RELIANCE
Introduction
After fighting and winning political independence in 1957, our political leaders failed to instill in us the implications of independence. As a result, Ghana still depends on our colonial masters for financial support, long after gaining independence.
Thus, instead of realizing independence as an opportunity to work hard and develop the country, we expected the country to just develop, while we adopted a laissez-fair attitude to work.
When the economy deteriorated rapidly, we continued to blame the former colonial masters. What we should have done as a nation was to identify the relationship between independence and the need for increased production.
Independence and self-reliance
Political independence means:
gaining self-rule from a colonial master
the new nation is entitled to govern itself
governments are sovereign (have the right to exercise freely, the full range of powers under international law)
the country is legally able to make its domestic and foreign policies
self-reliance
ability to depend mainly on the country’s resources for survival
self-reliant (a country that can do things and take decisions by itself)
the nation would not need help from other countries to run its affairs
Relationship between Political independence and Self-reliance
A politically independent nation is self-reliant. Such a nation should be able to:
determine its goals by itself
determine its path for national development
be self-informed of developmental directions
use its political instruments
accept no external intervention
How Ghanaians misconstrued the implications of independence
Some people thought independence was:
an end in itself
an answer to their economic woes
adopting a laissez-fair attitude to work
leaders were power conscious
leaders saw it as the time to amass wealth
Responsibilities and challenges after independence
Political independence does not imply easy life.
It is a call for good planning.
It is dedication and hard work.
It requires individual and collective development to be skillful.
The nation needs to have foresight into our problems and be able to solve them.
Responsibilities
The survival of our nation depends on ourselves.
Thus it is incumbent on the leader to plan for the nation’s survival and development and
for the followers to contribute to achieving these
Self-assessment
Discuss some of the responsibilities that Ghana faces as an independent nation.
Discuss how Ghanaians should use their time and resources to help in the development of the country.
Discuss the challenges Ghanaian leaders and followers face after independence.
What responsibilities should an individual have when they gain
personal independence
or national independence?
Meeting social and political challenges in post-independence Ghana
The socio-political challenges noted above can be met through the following:
developing our human and natural resources
having an effective system of management
by developing a positive attitude toward work
being willing to work hard for the best
good education, training, and healthy living
developing good interpersonal relationships
economic and financial improvement
How individual Ghanaians can apply the concept of independence and self-reliance in their lives
Some recommendations for independence and self-reliance are as follows:
Vote wisely to elect good quality persons for the National and District Assemblies.
Work hard and engage in productive work to improve the economy and standard of living.
Get a good education and professional skills to improve productivity.
Download the entire SHS FREE Social Studies notes now. We'd also appreciate a kind DONATION to +233 (0) 545 409 639 from you. Thank you.
PEACE BUILDING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Introduction
Despite Ghana being a relatively peaceful country, certain communities have prolonged conflict situations that have never been completely resolved. Meanwhile, new conflict situations keep emerging from time to time.
Because some of these cases were not effectively managed, they escalated and became difficult to manage, leading to the displacement of people, and loss of life and property. As conflicting factions are unable to build peace, development projects in those communities come to a standstill and there is little transformation.
For effective social and economic transformation to take place in Ghana, there is the need to reduce or end these conflicts so there can be harmonious living. It is therefore a matter of prime importance to inculcate the idea of peace-building in the Ghanaian citizenry.
Why this study?
So you would be able to explain the concept of Peace Building and Conflict Resolution as “the conscious effort to create an atmosphere of harmonious living in a society” e.g.
tolerance
co-operation
respect
positive thinking, etc.
Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution refers to measures put in place to settle misunderstandings, disputes, quarrels, etc.
Identifying sources of conflict and how to resolve them
Sources of conflicts include:
Greed – can lead to cheating, stealing, anger, infighting, uprisings, instability, etc
Injustice – denied or delayed, it can lead to anger, industrial actions, low productivity, etc
Discrimination – against individuals or groups based on their backgrounds
Bad relationships etc. - caused by varying factors such as bad management by leaders
Do the following to strengthen your knowledge
Suggest ways for resolving conflict in your school/community.
Effects of conflict on our communities
Effects of Conflict include:
Wars – Ethnic wars, civil wars, wars between nations, etc
Destruction of life and property – soldiers, women, and children, social amenities, houses, etc
Displacement of people – resulting in refugee situations, homelessness, overcrowding, etc
Insecurity – fear of reprisals, deportation from host countries, ill-treatment in host countries, etc.
Retardation of growth – due to little or no revenue, insecurity, lack of labor force, etc.
Low productivity etc. - due to insecurity, lack of adequate skilled labor, etc
Identifying conditions necessary for sustained Peace Building
Conditions for Peace Building include:
Tolerance – accepting one another despite our differences
Respect for one another – people often have different opinions formed by our backgrounds and life experiences, training, etc
Fairness – no one likes being treated unfairly.
Maintaining good relationships – to promote, for example, loyalty and good working relationships
Positive thinking – doubt and distrust can lead to discouragement, lack of motivation, disunity, etc
Having agreed upon set goals – Can lead to set guidelines to be adhered to by all parties
Describing the process of Peace Building
The process of Peace Building involves:
Negotiation – can lead to agreed terms
Mediation – by third parties to help conflicting parties reach agreed terms of peace
Right conduct – will help avoid misunderstanding and conflict
Justice and Fairness – to prevent anger and uprisings for instance
Respecting Human Rights – will prevent anger and uprisings
Compromising - for the sake of peace
Two tasks for you
Brainstorm the various ways through which peace can be maintained in Ghana
How can you as an individual help Ghana build sustained peace?
Download the entire SHS FREE Social Studies notes now. We'd also appreciate a kind DONATION to +233 (0) 545 409 639 from you. Thank you.
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Studying socio-economic development will enable you to:
acquire knowledge and skills for dealing with challenges facing the youth
prepare adequately for employment
take steps to ensure your financial security
identify the usefulness of science and technology in national development
realize the relationship between human and natural resources and national development
THE YOUTH AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
The youth form the most active and potential manpower of the nation. They are expected to replace the aging labor force and play responsible roles in the transformation and modernization of the economy.
Yet they seem not to be playing their expected roles in national development enough. Unfortunately, too many of them do not have the requisite skills and appropriate attitudes needed for development. This does not order well for the development of the nation.
Explaining the term “youth”
Youth refers to the active and potential manpower (between 18 and 60 years) before retirement age.
Some challenges encountered by the youth in their effort to contribute to national development and how to overcome these challenges
Challenges encountered by the youth include:
difficulty in adapting to new environments
problems of breaking from parental attachment
tendency to fall under influence of a bad company
inadequate job opportunities
low-level education
pressure from elders to do the wrong things eg. Election malpractices, vandalism, etc.
Avenues for youth training in the country
Several youth training programs exist in the country, including:
national youth employment programs
Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC)
and other programs by the government, individual apprenticeships, etc.
Self-assessment
How could knowledge of youth programs be made more helpful to the youth?
Identifying avenues by which the youth can get employment
newspapers job advertisements
personal contacts
self-employment i.e. private business
prepare one’s CV and make adequate preparation for a job interview
Suggest avenues to find employment for yourself and others.
Advantages of savings to the individual
Interest on money saved
Safekeeping of your money
Ability to meet unexpected expenses and planned expense
Minimizes borrowing
Check on one’s spending
Proper management of one’s finances
Maintenance of living standards up to retirement and thereafter
Advantages of savings to the nation
money to initiate development projects e.g.
schools
libraries
hospitals, etc.
improvement of the standard of living
The work of some of the financial institutions in the country
The following are some of the financial institutions with which one can save money:
Banks
Rural Banks
Savings and Loans Companies
Susu Group
Credit Union
Insurance Companies etc
Financial companies
Savings and Loans Companies
banks
Insurance companies
Credit Unions
Susu Groups
How to plan a sustainable financial security program for the future:
Set financial and occupational goals
Put some money aside each month
as savings
SSNIT contribution
Insurance
Shares
Contributions expected from the youth in national development
The youth as manpower
The youth are the most active and potential manpower. Their contributions are very important, including:
acquire quality education and skills needed for work in the present century
develop effective decision-making skills
live healthy lifestyles
be hardworking
maintain a job and pay their taxes
have a positive attitude to work
maintain good relationships with others
Support national efforts and support others
have proper role models
Question: As a youth what contributions can you make to the development of your nation?
Download the entire SHS FREE Social Studies notes now. We'd also appreciate a kind DONATION to +233 (0) 545 409 639 from you. Thank you.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Introduction
Science and Technology are currently the engines that move development in the world. In Ghana, though there has been a lot of emphasis on science and technology, the country has not been able to fully utilize its scientific knowledge for development.
Difference between “science” and “technology”
Science is a body of knowledge acquired through systematic inquiry and considerable mental effort.
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to satisfy human needs.
Science and technology for development and production
The technology uses scientific findings. Some examples are as follows:
Based on the principles of floatation the ship was invented.
On the principles of airlift, liquid dynamics, and how birds fly, the airplane was invented.
The role of science and technology in the development of Ghana
There has been extensive research in Ghana based on science and technology.
There has been soil research, cross-breeding of animals, major building projects, road construction, research on agrochemicals and machinery, etc.
Efforts are being made to promote science and technology in Ghana
encouraging and enabling the study of science
admission of more science students
establishing science resource centers in schools
training of more science teachers
funding research on technological development etc.
Ghana could promote its development through increased application of science and technology.
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION
Introduction
Ghana has abundant natural resources which have not been efficiently tapped for the country’s improvement.
This situation is often blamed on inadequate capital and technical know-how, but it is actually due to an imbalance in the development of our human resources and the needs of society.
The development of the nation will be enhanced if more attention is given to relevant practical skill acquisition rather than mere knowledge acquisition.
Meaning of resource and development
Resources refer to any form of material available to societies that are used in the production of goods and services. Development is the qualitative and quantitative improvement in the standard of living of people in society.
Types of resources
There are three types of resources:
Natural Resources
Capital Resource
Human Resource
How human resources can be developed
Development of human resources can be by:
Formal education
Apprenticeship
On-the-job training etc
How resources contribute to national development
Educated and trained persons have more practicable skills and knowledge and are more able to transform resources into refined goods and services
Download the entire SHS FREE Social Studies notes now. We'd also appreciate a kind DONATION to +233 (0) 545 409 639 from you. Thank you.
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