Abstract

Development paradigms under the sustainable development goals (SDGs) identify cultural capital as an indispensable asset for development in less developed countries. However, the phenomenon of culture and underdevelopment nexus has attracted little research attention in Ghana. The study used modernization theory and ethnographic research methodology to explore the role of cultural capital deficits in northern Ghana's underdevelopment. Our findings suggest a close correlation between cultural capital and underdevelopment relative to unethical attitudinal standards, value deficits, and an anti-development mindset. We recommend the inclusion of cultural reorientation in the design of development intervention programs to uphold high integrity standards. We further suggest that the curriculum and concept of quality education in schools should be broadened to include inculcating high-value standards. Our study has contributed to academic discourses on cultural capital's role in the search for sustainable development in less developed countries, particularly in implementing the SDGs.

RAS ID

60318

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

1-1-2024

Volume

32

Issue

1

School

School of Arts and Humanities

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Publisher

Wiley

Comments

Klutsey, J. Q., Adusei‐Asante, K., & Nunfam, V. F. (2024). Cultural capital and underdevelopment in less developed countries: The case of northern Ghana. Sustainable Development, 32(1), 1096-1108. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2724

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1002/sd.2724