Schooling and Difference in Africa: Democratic Challenges in a Contemporary Context (review)

Schooling and Difference in Africa uses an ethnographic approach to examine social difference and its relevance to schooling in Ghana. Divided into eleven chapters, the book's first four chapters provide theoretical and contextual background to the study. Chapter 1 contains a well-presented discussion about social difference and schooling in Africa, with specific emphasis on gender, class, language, ethnicity, and disability. The chapter also provides information about the multicultural, multiethnic, and multilingual nature of Ghanaian society as well as the challenges of education in this context. Chapter 2 describes the methodology and logistics of the three-year field study that informs the book. Chapters 3 and 4 weave through the voices of educators, students, and practitioners living in Ghana and Canada, examining their understanding and experience of difference as well as their understanding of the notion of majority/minority and its construction across the many lines of difference existing in Ghana. Each of chapters 5 to 10 examines aspects of the interface of Ghanaian education with ethnicity, gender, class, physical (dis)ability, language, and religion. The authors draw on a wide range of perspectives to offer conclusions on ways that social difference affects educational experience. Chapter 11 compares issues of difference and diversity in the Ghanaian and Canadian education systems.

A pervasive theme of the book is that the critical investigation of difference and diversity can contribute to a discourse that leads "to the promotion of 'educational inclusion' in Ghanaian school settings" (3). The authors' critique of the sensitivity of the Ghanaian educational system to social difference goes beyond mere theorizing: through both interviews and observations in educational settings, they successfully stimulate critical discussions among a wide range of Ghanaians regarding their understanding and experience of difference in Ghana's education.

While this bold approach moves the discussion beyond abstract theory, these strengths present some inherent challenges. The book struggles with geographic representation, and the authors recognize this: "While. . . mindful of making generalizations. . . using the Ghanaian case study, nonetheless we would like to herald the shared concerns and issues that cut across many African countries when it comes to the matter of dealing with difference and diversity" (60). Despite such a disclaimer, the title is misleading; the book is really on schooling and difference in Ghana.

A similar challenge emerges in the last chapter, comparing social difference in Africa (Ghana) and North America (Canada). The authors note that "while the issue of North American schooling may be conceptualized differently from that of Africa, there are some broad parallels to be made" (9). While many would agree with this premise, in the end one is not convinced that enough information is provided about the Canadian context to justify a comparative analysis between Ghana and Canada.

In terms of method, the authors' principal technique is the use of abundant quotations from study participants, thereby bringing the reader into close contact with individuals who have experienced education in Ghana, and "to bring forth the tensions, struggles, contradictions, and ambiguities in subject(ive) accounts regarding the challenges of dealing with difference and diversity" (48). Such an approach has great potential, particularly in a study of this nature. Still, the approach requires a precision that is sometimes lacking. Chapters 3 and 4 are especially repetitive and tedious. Also lacking from the book is a cogent analysis of policy documents relating to education and the relevant social difference addressed in the chapters. Nuanced analysis of official policies would have allowed those unfamiliar with the Ghanaian context to grasp the depth of the tension, struggle, contradiction, and ambiguity to emerge from the participants' words. Also missing are concrete suggestions for ameliorating what the authors deem as "injurious" and "dehumanizing" inequalities among student populations in Ghana.

Notwithstanding these challenges, the book presents a powerful analysis of social difference and schooling in Ghana. It is a welcome addition to the...