Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Anthropology, 2006. / "This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation). The CD requires the following system requirements: Adobe Acrobat"--ProQuest document view. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis explores the phenomenon of irregular migration from the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana to Libya. It draws on migration theories to explain the underlying drivers of the phenomenon in the region. Many studies on irregular migration in Sub-Saharan Africa have predominantly attributed it to the push/pull theory. The objective here is to go beyond this stereotypical way of theorizing irregular migration in Sub-Saharan Africa by drawing on a wide range of migration theories to explain the underlying drivers of irregular migration from the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana to Libya. The evidence suggests that the drivers of irregular migration in the area under study are complex and nested in a broad-spectrum of social, cultural, moral, economic, historical, etc. context. Therefore, a single theory is inadequate to present a comprehensive explanation for the underlying drivers of the subject. It is revealed that there is the emergence of contemporary competing factors such as sports betting and internet fraud with some of the root causes of the phenomenon in the region. Hence, some of the root causes are weakened by these contemporary factors.

A global land rush developed during the last decade, spared primiarly by the sharp rise inglobal food prices between 2007 and 2008. The inceased international food prices resulted inincreased interest from foreign actors to invest in agricultural land in developing countries inthe global south. The “global land rush” or “land grabs” is driven by the increased demandfor primarily food and biofuels. The phenomenon refers to foreign direct investment inagricultural land in developing countries that has escalated in recent years, with Sub-SaharanAfrica as the most targeted. This study examines foreign land investment in Ghana focusingon the regions of Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti and Volta through a qualitative literature study. Thepurpose of the study is to analyze to what extent these investments can be explained asneo-colonial or as development opportunities. Based on analyzing economic, political,cultural and power relations, the study concludes that all cases are in line with neo-colonialtheory according to Nkrumah. The economic effects show temporary job creation and loss oflivelihood, which indicates economic exploitation. The cultural effects include disruption oftraditional practices and loss of cultural identity, suggesting cultural imperialism. The aspectof political power shows the marginalization of local interests and political dominance. Noneof the three cases fulfills the principles of a win-win situation and therefore can't beconsidered development opportunities either. The legal frameworks in the regions prioritizeforeign actors over the rights and welfare of affected communities, leading to an unbalanceddistribution of power. The job opportunities that the projects bring often hide the long-termeffects and loss of livelihoods for the local population. In conclusion, this study contributes tothe understanding of Land Grabbing in Ghana as a neo-colonial phenomenon rather than adevelopment opportunity.