Is There a McDonald's In Ghana??

Since arriving in Ghana six years ago, I have come to learn a lot of things about West African culture. One of the first things that will strike the student that is trying to understand West Africans is the way in which they interpret interpersonal relationships.

Let me try to explain: in western society as a whole one of the focuses of causal relationships is gaining information. This quest for relationship entails the trustworthy sharing and receiving of needed information. If a person has a casual relationship with someone, and finds that the information provide by that person is false, then most likely that relationship will be terminated.

For example- Jim is a contractor that buys building supplies for projects. He normally purchases these items at a local hardware store, but after meeting a salesmen named Sid, Jim discoveries that if he asks Sid if the store stocks a item that he needs, Sid will tells them that they have it, but once Jim looks around, he discovers that the item that he needs is out of stock, or not available at the store. Because Jim now sees Sid as untrustworthy he will brake the relationship and start buying his supply at the new Home Depot in the next city, where he believes they will give him proper information.

This scenario is not understood by may West Africans. Here the focus is not on the accuracy of information being relayed, but that it is being relayed. Relationships are parmount. If a person is asked for help or basic information, even if the person asked does not know the answer, an answer will be given. The African will seek to determine from body language, needs, language usage, what the person asking wants to hear, and therefore many times will give the response that they think that the person asking wants to hear. Here the focus of the culture can be seen. In the West Africa of the past, information was limited and protected, and relationships where thought to be of greater importance. In our culture here, it is thought more damaging to appear unhelpful or unkind, then it is to relate correct facts.

For example- Kofi is a foreigner that is new to Kumasi, a large city of about 2.5 million people. Kofi is a young business man that dresses according to his profession, and has come to the central market looking to buy a rare item, that he needs for his business. Because Kofi is new to the city and does not know where to find this item, he decides to ask a young man if he knows of any stores in which this item can be found. The young man quickly assures him that he knows of some places. After about two hours and ten different stores, Kofi comes to understand that the young man was just trying to be helpful, not only does he not know of any stores that sell the item, the young man does not even now what the item is. Kofi is angry at the young man for wasting his time, and as he leaves the young man is confused way the man is angry at him for being helpful. The Africa understands that even if proper information was not given he was trying to be friendly and helpful, and of course that is the most important thing.

These two examples might seem hoarse to a reader, but in truth they are an imperfect, but fair example of each cultural ideal. Now a person might wonder what this has to do with McDonald's. Well, my friend Andrew Aaron and I tried to put this theory to the test the other day. We had been traveling to the capital when the truck that we where riding in got its third flat tire of the morning, and we where stranded in the jungle for two hours. My friend had his video camera, so we decided to see if our theory was true.

Here is our theory: If a broni (foreigner) asks a local man about the location of a place that he has never heard of, he will still give him an answer, just because he does not want to offend the boni.

So with our camera in hand we set out to answer our theory. Would a African tell us there is a McDonald's in Ghana, even though they do not know what it is?

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/video.php?v=1138220825106

From this video a person can see that most often Africans will tell the person asking questions what they think the person watns to hear. This is very important for those people trying to give the gospel to starngers. Unless an African knows a preaching of the gospel well enough or they are confronted with a clear enough Gospel presetation that attacks their foundation thoughts about life, they will got assent to all question and follow social harmony rules. This video give some evidence to this fact, and I hope it is helpful.