Browsing by Author "Osei-Tutu, Anabella"

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Implications of COVID-19 Innovations for social interaction: provisional insights from a qualitative study of Ghanaian Christian leaders
(Frontiers in Psychology, 2022-05-24) Adams, Glenn; Osei-Tutu, Anabella; Affram, Adjeiwa Akosua; Phillips-Kumaga, Lilian; Dzokoto, Vivian Afi Abui
Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic prompted people and institutions to turn to online virtual environments for a wide variety of social gatherings. In this perspectives article, we draw upon our previous work and interviews with Ghanaian Christian leaders to consider implications of this shift. Specifically, we propose that the shift from physical to virtual interactions mimics and amplifies the neoliberal individualist experience of abstraction from place associated with Eurocentric modernity. On the positive side, the shift from physical to virtual environments liberates people to selectively pursue the most fulfilling interactions, free from constraints of physical distance. On the negative side, the move from physical to virtual space necessitates a shift from material care and tangible engagement with the local community to the psychologization of care and pursuit of emotional intimacy in relations of one’s choosing—a dynamic that further marginalizes people who are already on the margins. The disruptions of the pandemic provide an opportunity to re-set social relations, to design ways of being that better promote sustainable collective well-being rather than fleeting personal fulfillment.
“Kwatakwata by June diεε…”: Internet humour used during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic by social media users in Ghana
(The European Journal of Humour Research, 2022) Phillips-Kumaga, Lillian; Hansen-Garshong, Rachel; Ackom, Christian Kobina; Teku, Charity; Osei-Tutu, Anabella
The first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has been described as stressful. People make light of stressful situations in different ways. Ghanaians are known to be able to make humour out of any situation. During the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghanaians shared memes and posters on social media, making light of the seriousness of the pandemic. "Kwatakwata by June diεε…”, shortened from the phrase: [kwatakwata by June diεε na obiara ewu] to wit "Latest by June, we will all be dead", has become a catchphrase on social media and the streets of Ghana to make fun of the serious impact of the virus. This current study examines internet humour that became popular with Ghanaians during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. We examined videos, memes, and posters from various social media sites to learn about the Ghanaian use of humour during a public health crisis. Content analysis of the data showed that Ghanaians created humorous content to express how they felt about the public health crisis and educate citizens about the pandemic. Recurring themes observed from the data include humour concerning death, isolation, and keeping children occupied. Our analysis showed that Ghanaian social media users largely used self-enhancing humour. We discuss these themes to show the types of internet humour Ghanaians shared during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic