INDIVIDUAL  RESEARCH REPORTS

34.

MADINA  STUDY

Madina  is a fast developing  sub-urban settlement  located  in the
Accra  Plains about  10 miles north-east of Accra on the Dodowah road.
It  is 2 miles due north of the University  of Ghana,  Legon.

Early  in June  1964,  Alhaji  Seidu  Kado,  now  Chief of this

settlement extended an  invitation  to Me A.K.Quarcoo  to write  up the
history of the founding and development  of the settlement.  Mr.  Quarcoo
began  it but soon it occurred to him that  a comprehensive social survey
would be rewarding.  He therefore consulted with me in October,  1965
and we began to think  of the best way to approach the project.  We have .
had a few  preliminary meetings between  ourselves and with the chief and
his elders.  We  have also seen the village  development  committee,  and
have decidecf that:- 

;

1. 

it was possible  to present a comprehensive programme
and to study not only historic  material but also other
socio-economic  and demographic  aspects of the
settlement.  Thus it was thought that  a full  social survey
of Madina  was most desirable;

2.  we should have a  joint  project.

Our  reasons for taking these decisions (1) are:-

(a) we  felt  that a study of  Madina at  this moment could
offer  an opportunity  to study the structure,  processes as
well  as factors of change  in the community.  Madina
did not exist as a separat entity during the census of  I960;
its development  has been  remarkably so fast that  barely
within 6 years the population  is estimated at 4,000.

35. 

INDIVIDUAL  RESEARCH REPORTS

(b)  From (a)  it  is also possible that such a survey could
serve as a basis for  longitudinal  projects that anyone might
initiate  in the settlement. 

.

The main objectives of the survey are:-

1. 

2. 

to apply scientific  principles to the description of the
incidence  and distribution of social variables within
the community and the existing  ideas and attitudes to
the type of changes that are occurring  in the community.

to  isolate and evaluate  the factors which have  led to the
rapid changes that are taking place  in the area,  and from
this consider the  relevant  forces that are  likely  to  influence
the  future development  of the  settlement.

3. 

to study the social structure of a rapidly  developing sub-
urban settlement.

As a  first stage to this survey,  a pilot  study will  be made of the  settlement.

The Pilot Sample

This will  be conducted either  in December or early  in the new

year to provide:-

included here are  :  age,  sex,  ethnic  and

(a) an estimate of household composition,  and the  characteristics
of  its members — 
tribal  origin,  education,  occupation and place of work,
immigration; distribution of households according to dwellings
(types,  rooms etc.),  and according to families; house
.ownership and rent;

fcf*

h*

INDIVIDUAL  RESEARCH REPORTS 

36.

(b)  an estimate of  the opinions of the population on
the  types of health,  welfare  and social services
available  to the  community;

(c)  systems of values and processes as well  as factors
of social control;

(d)  an opportunity  to test  the suitability  and  efficiency
of the suggested questionnaire;

(e)  preliminary  information  relevant  to the  compilation
of  indices for analysis.

While  contemplating  on the  personnel  to employ  for the  pilot
survey,  Dr.  Margaret  Peil  of the  Sociology  department,  gave us the
answer.  She was independently  thinking of giving a number of students
of her department an opportunity  of studying research techniques  in the
field.  She therefore  offered  to team up with us in the pi lot survey.  A
number of  her students will  therefore  be our field assistants.  Her
questionnaire  has been incorporated  in ours and the  project  is now a
joint  project  for  M.  A.K.Quarcoo,  Dr.  Margaret  Peil and Mr.  N.O.Addo.

N . O.  Addo