Research Focus Group Talk: Childhood and the Role of Adults in the Identity Formation of Children in Ghanaian Children’s Literature

The perception of childhood seems to vary across cultures and literature is a key conveyor of cultural heritage. heritage. In this talk, Clara Asare-Nyarko will explore childhood and the roles adults play in the identity formation of children in Ghanaian children’s literature.

Although the development of children’s literature in Ghana began in the 1950s and a significant volume has been produced for young readers, research on children’s literature in Ghana remains largely a neglected area (Yitah & Komasi, 2009). The use of story as agent of socialisation is a conscious and deliberate process and people usually develop understanding of who they are in close relationship with the society they belong to (Stephens, 1992; Stryker & Burke, 2000). Using four books for young readers by Ghanaian authors and social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), this study explores childhood and the roles adults play in the identity formation of children. Childhood is often defined more by behaviour, responsibility and societal norms rather than just age in Ghana (Kyei-Gyamfi, 2025) and adults play prominent roles in this crucial formative period children learn to coexist and interact in a more interconnected world.

Clara Asare-Nyarko is a final-year doctoral student in the Department of English, University of Cape Coast, Ghana and University of Hildesheim, Germany. She holds a Master of Arts in Translation Studies from Pan African University and ASTI in University of Buea, Cameroon.

Zoom attendance link here

Cosponsored by the IHC’s Global Childhood Media Research Focus Group and Ghana Studies Research Focus Group