Colonial Continuities: The Impact of Structural Adjustment on Ethnic Cleavages in Ghana

Abstract

This paper examines the role of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) in exacerbating the socio-economic and political landscapes. Using Ghana as a case study, the analysis explores how implementing SAP policies involving privatization and economic liberalization intensified socio-economic inequalities and deepened regional and ethnic disparities.  It argues that SAPs produced the neocolonial dynamics of power, leveraging economic dependency to sustain unequal power dynamics. The paper connects the colonial-era exploitation of Ghanaian society and resources to the contemporary global economy, highlighting how SAPs undermined local development while favouring international financial institutions' interests.