Analyzing the Significance of Indigenous Hats in Ghanaian Culture

Abstract

Hats are highly noticeable accessories because they immediately capture the observer’s attention towards the face. The purpose of this study was to analyse the significance of hat in Ghanaian culture. The majority of Ghanaians are unaware of the history of the Ghanaian hat, and the fashion industry pays little attention to the indigenous hat, disregarding Ghanaian culture. The method adopted for the study was a mixed-method approach where both interviews and questionnaires were used for gathering information for the study. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The study had as its population all regular undergraduate students at Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills, Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi and covered all students with a sample size of 109 students. The method used for gathering information for the study was interview and a questionnaire. The research found that the Dagomba mostly wear hat to depict their culture. It was also revealed that, unlike the Dagombas, the Ashantis and the Gas are of the view that, wearing the hat is purposely for complementing one’s clothing. The study concluded that, the Dagomba, the Ashantis and the Gas all depict their culture of hats in variety of ways.