Discourses and Counter-Discourses on Female Sexual Behavior in Ghana

In this paper, we explore the discourses and counter-discourses that characterize contemporary Ghanaian ethos regarding female sexual behavior. Under the Cultural Linguistics assumptions that language may reflect underlying sociocultural conceptualizations, and that cultural cognition is formed through interaction between individuals across time and space, respectively (Sharifian 2017), the following research describes traditional discourses on female sexuality as encoded in proverbs of two major Ghanaian languages, Akan and Ewe, and examines how the discourses of two young females in Ghana’s entertainment industry who create individual identities (through lyrics and social media comments) as sexual divas constitute counter-discourses to the traditional discourses. Finally, we examine social media discourses surrounding these two young females to infer how contemporary Ghanaians react to the various discourses. The analysis reveals tensions between traditional discourses and emerging ones. The study therefore concludes that contemporary Ghanaian ethos is characterized by multiple discursive discourse practices, including traditional proverbs, practices emanating from Christian beliefs and (Western) pop culture.