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Six decades after independence: the enduring influence of missionary activities on regional wealth inequalities in Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Godfred O Boateng
  • Dozie Okoye
  • Jonathan Amoyaw
  • Isaac Luginaah

Abstract

What forces drive regional economic divergence? This study identifies colonial-era missions as an institutional force in shaping economic relations in Ghana. We conceptualize Christian missions as an institution, in its solid form, as the educational infrastructure and trade networks developed, and in its formal form, as advancing new rules that governed cultural and trade development. We use survey data, a map of mission stations, data on colonial-era urbanization and calculations of geographic endowments in each region of the country to examine the impacts of missionary activities on wealth, schooling and population clustering, and how these are reflected in wealth differences across regions of Ghana today. Results show that regional disparities in household wealth are large and significantly associated with intensity of colonial missionary activities, even after accounting for other important structural factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Godfred O Boateng & Dozie Okoye & Jonathan Amoyaw & Isaac Luginaah, 2020. "Six decades after independence: the enduring influence of missionary activities on regional wealth inequalities in Ghana," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 20(1), pages 93-122.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jecgeo:v:20:y:2020:i:1:p:93-122.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jeg/lby067
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    Cited by:

    1. Congdon Fors, Heather & Isaksson, Ann-Sofie & Lindskog, Annika, 2024. "Changing local customs: The long run impacts of Christian missions on female genital cutting in Africa," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    2. Remi Jedwab & Felix Meier zu Selhausen & Alexander Moradi, 2022. "The economics of missionary expansion: evidence from Africa and implications for development," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 149-192, June.
    3. Congdon Fors, Heather & Isaksson, Ann-Sofie & Annika, Lindskog, 2023. "Changing local customs: Long-run impacts of the earliest campaigns against female genital cutting," Working Papers in Economics 831, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ghana; missionary activity; regional inequality; wealth; population clusters; spatial disparities; agglomeration; north–south divide;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J - Labor and Demographic Economics
    • F - International Economics

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