Body adornment among the Krobo in Ghana: Hair, a crowning glory

Abstract

Since ancient times, body adornment has been a tradition in many cultures around the world and people still deck themselves out for a number of reasons. In Ghana, the phenomenon is pervasive among community members in almost all sixteen regions, including the Krobo of the Eastern Region, thereby projecting body adornment as part of the country’s national culture. Despite the case that any part of the human body can be adorned, the adornment of the hair on the human head has not been in focus among the Krobo of Ghana. Employing a qualitative approach and engaging multiple instruments (a semi-structured interview guide, non-participant observation, and document study), the study explored the adornment of the hair among the Krobo. Anchored on symbolic interaction theory, the findings of the study revealed that adornment of hair among the Krobo permeates three main thrusts: varying dimensions of hair plaiting or braiding, the wearing of scarves, and finally, the wearing of hats. In addition, the study revealed that the need for cultural symbolism is the main driver for adorning hair among the Krobo. Ultimately, the study broadens the existing literature base of the indigenous Ghanaian hair culture with reference to the Krobo people, at a time when such rich traditional ideals are rapidly declining. This tends to promote and preserve indigenous Krobo hair identity for posterity.