Models of Relationship in Ghana: Implications for Development

We compared relationship tendencies in two cultural contexts in Ghana: Pentecostal-Charismatic (PCC) and Non-PCC churches. Observers in West African settings have described PCCs as a cultural force that affords and reflects neoliberal ways of being. We conducted 2 studies to test the hypothesis that engagement with PCC contexts is associated with notions of love and care that resonate with neoliberal ways of being. In Study 1, interview participants (n = 61; 59% PCC) described love and how they show it. Based on theoretical conceptualization, we coded data to reflect two models of love. Maintenance-focused love emphasizes duty-based relationality, a careful approach to connection, and security. Growth-focused love emphasizes freedom and an open approach to connection, mutual fulfilment, and personal achievements. Results revealed the hypothesized pattern, such that expressions of growth-focused love were more common in responses of PCC participants than in responses of Non-PCC participants. In Study 2, survey participants (n = 1120; 48.6% PCC) completed measures of relationships tendencies. We hypothesized and observed effects of cultural context on relationship outcomes. PCC participants reported less relational harmony, weaker sense of familial obligation, and less emphasis on maintenance-focused (versus growth-focused) expressions of love and care than did non-PCC participants. Our discussion of results focuses on religious participation as a force for cultural change and on implications of growth-focused relationality for health and human development.