When Social Structure of Ghana was first published in 1981, it became the only comprehensive and sociological attempts to examine the institutional framework of the entire Ghanaian society. It still is. In this 1999 edition, the author updates most of the data on Ghana, and analyses in greater detail some of the issues raised therein. These issues include the military in politics, religious sectarianism, social problems, educational reforms and the world of work, and the shifting loyalties of Ghanaians to kin groups, tribes and the nation.

As the twentieth century comes to a close, this book probably represents the last major publication on Ghana that analyses the country’s human and material resources for confronting the challenges of the next century.

The book will continue to be useful for studies in sociology, ethnography, political science, African studies, medical sociology value systems, nursing and social work.