Traditional Body Marks for Beautification among Selected Dangme Groups in Ghana

Abstract

Body marking is both an elusive and a sensitive issue on various forms of discussion. Most individuals do not want to associate themselves with other people who have body marks and this has attached a sense of stigmatization to the issue of body marks as there is the vivid lack of understanding of the basis for making these cultural artefacts. There was, therefore, the need for exploration into the issue to understand the reasons for making body marks specifically for beautification and to understand the ramifications of these marks. Most literature available focuses on traditional body marks for several reasons in countries like Nigeria, Sudan, and Benin. Ghana is a country that also has body marks among various cultures and ethnic groups yet the undertones of these marks have not been explored in certain parts of the country. This study was therefore conducted to find out the various types of traditional body marks done for beautification among some ethnic groups in southern Ghana. Three ethnic groups from the Ga-Dangme tribe were selected for the study and these were Ningo, Prampram, and Ada. Data were collected from the three Dangme groups based on the understanding of body marks for beautification according to their culture. The qualitative research method was used, with interviews and observations being the main form of data collection instruments. Out of the overall accessible population of 90 respondents, a sample size of 60 was purposively selected based on the information provided by body marks for beautification. The results of the study showed different body marks that are made for different cultural reasons among those ethnic groups.