Rights of LGBT People in Ghana : Perceptions of Ghanaians Living in Finland
Yeboa-Mensa, Seree (2017)
Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu
2017
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201705025952
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201705025952
Tiivistelmä
Seree Yeboa-Mensa. Rights of LGBT People in Ghana: Perceptions of Ghanaians Living in Finland. Helsinki, Spring 2017, 93p, 1 appendix
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki Unit, Degree Program in Social Services, Option in Diaconia Studies.
The main purpose of the study was to investigate the perceptions of Ghanaians living in Finland on the legalization of full rights of LGBT in Ghana, and the need for them to receive pastoral care and counseling in Ghana.
Material and Methods: Quantitative research method was used in gathering data. The respondents were randomly selected to answer online survey questions, and few were also interviewed. One hundred and thirteen (113) responses from the survey and interviews were included in the study. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for the analysis of the data; to report the frequencies of opinions as well as to compare relationships between various variables.
Results: The opinions of the respondents were significantly influenced by their age, the level of education, the length of stay in Finland and other countries in which respondents had lived, as well as their religious denomination and their religiosity. Reasons for their opinions were that the young generation could learn to become LGBT if their right is legalized. Religio-cultural reasons were also given in addition to the psychological effect of LGBT on children.
Most the respondents indicated that LGBT Acts should neither be decriminalized nor legalized in Ghana. A greater percentage of them believed that families should be encouraged to love and accept their LGBT members. Most of them also approved that LGBT people should be embraced by their religious denominations, but their marriages should not be blessed in their denominations. Their reason was that their sacred religious books or traditions do not guarantee the rights of LGBT people.
It was concluded that because of the importance of religious beliefs to the respondents, they did not want LGBT rights guaranteed in Ghana. They, however, showed an appreciable level of love and acceptance of LGBT people in their religious denominations and in their families.
Key words: Human Rights, Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender, Pastoral Care, Quantitative Research
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki Unit, Degree Program in Social Services, Option in Diaconia Studies.
The main purpose of the study was to investigate the perceptions of Ghanaians living in Finland on the legalization of full rights of LGBT in Ghana, and the need for them to receive pastoral care and counseling in Ghana.
Material and Methods: Quantitative research method was used in gathering data. The respondents were randomly selected to answer online survey questions, and few were also interviewed. One hundred and thirteen (113) responses from the survey and interviews were included in the study. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for the analysis of the data; to report the frequencies of opinions as well as to compare relationships between various variables.
Results: The opinions of the respondents were significantly influenced by their age, the level of education, the length of stay in Finland and other countries in which respondents had lived, as well as their religious denomination and their religiosity. Reasons for their opinions were that the young generation could learn to become LGBT if their right is legalized. Religio-cultural reasons were also given in addition to the psychological effect of LGBT on children.
Most the respondents indicated that LGBT Acts should neither be decriminalized nor legalized in Ghana. A greater percentage of them believed that families should be encouraged to love and accept their LGBT members. Most of them also approved that LGBT people should be embraced by their religious denominations, but their marriages should not be blessed in their denominations. Their reason was that their sacred religious books or traditions do not guarantee the rights of LGBT people.
It was concluded that because of the importance of religious beliefs to the respondents, they did not want LGBT rights guaranteed in Ghana. They, however, showed an appreciable level of love and acceptance of LGBT people in their religious denominations and in their families.
Key words: Human Rights, Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender, Pastoral Care, Quantitative Research