Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University / The contact of Ashanti with Western Civilization properly dates as far back as the 15th century when the Portuguese explorers went to Africa in search of spices and grain. But the influence which these early transients may have exerted on the Ashanti culture was insignificant when compared with the contact with the British four centuries later. This later contact marked the introduction of various social institutions, including new religious, educational, political and economic institutions. In many instances the new norms produced by them out across traditional kinship obligations and consequently produced new attitudes and values which led to change in the social structure. The primary purpose of this thesis is to formulate certain hypotheses which will explain social interaction. It shall attempt to show the functional relationship between a given economic institution and kinship organization. As an index of Western Civilization. therefore, it shall use only two general characteristics of western economic institutions, competition and individualism. And as an index of culture change it shall use the changing kinship system of the Ashanti society.