International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue III, March 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

The Social Structure of the Dagara of the North Western Ghana, Through the Clan System and Clan Appellations

Dr. Dominic Alimbey Dery¹, Father Alexander Bedekuru Nmaninyin², Father Peter Paul Yelletuo^3
1Department of Languages and Liberal Studies, Faculty of Applied Arts, Tamale Technical University, Ghana
^2,3McCOY College of Education, Ghana

Abstract:-The study relied on the assistance of key informants to identify a number of respondents who were then randomly sampled for the purposes of this study. The study was to establish the existing social structure of the Dagara and the importance attached to the clan system and clan appellations. The study revealed among others that the non-human relatives of the Dagara play a role of paramount importance in the survival of these clans. They played a salvific role in the lives of these clans. So, as a sign of gratitude and appreciation, these clans regarded these non-human relatives as their consanguine. To kill one means suicide or fratricide.

Keywords: Social, structure, Dagara, clan, appellations.

I. INTRODUCTION

This paper is to establish what the Dagara social structure is. The question that captures the attention of this research is whether the Dagara are matriclan, patriclan or both. In carrying out this research, the first part of this paper provides answers to who are the Dagara people and where are they located?
According to him, in the existing literature, one comes across names like, Dagaaba, Dagari, Dagarti, Dagaati, Dagaba, Dagaabas, Daga-Wiili, LoDagaa, LoWiili, LoDagaba, and Dagaare. The reader is often confused as to which name accurately describes these people and which does not or whether the several names designate different tribal groups or they refer to the same people. This could create the impression of an identity crisis of these people Mwinlaaro 1999).